This report brief for policy makers by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine states that mental health and substance abuse disorders among young adults cost the United States an estimated $247 billion annually. The report estimates that 14 to 20 percent of youth experience behavioral health conditions and suggests that the White House create an entity to coordinate agency initiatives to utilize effective prevention programs.

From the report: 

Officials at the local, state, and federal levels all play a role in mental health promotion and the prevention of MEB disorders. Many providers and agencies are responsible for the care, protection, or support of young people: the child welfare, education, and juvenile justice systems, as well as medical and mental health care providers and community organizations. Yet resources within these agencies are scattered, not coordinated, and often do not effetively support prevention programs or policies. The result is a patchwork that does not perform as an integrated system and fails to serve the needs of many young people and their families.

Full report: Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People - Progress and Possibilities (PDF | 6.35 MB)   

The National Academies. (2009). Preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders among young people - progress and possibilities.