Burden of Disease Estimation

The Global Burden of Disease model developed by Chris Murray and Alan Lopez in the 1990’s was a watershed moment for epidemiology in general and psychiatric epidemiology in particular. It gave academics and decision-makers across all health fields a common language to measure problems, prioritize solutions, and allocate resources. And it literally put mental health on the map. The methodologies used have evolved across time in response to the scientific community’s feedback. Dr. Vigo devoted his Doctoral work at Harvard (with the mentorship of Rifat Atun, Arthur Kleinman, Anne Becker and Graham Thornicroft) to understand the model in detail as it applies to mental health. He developed a constructive critique and an alternative estimate of the burden of mental illness. The two Lancet journals’ papers below are different chapters of Dr. Vigo’s Harvard dissertation (another chapter on global governance was also published by Lancet Psychiatry). “Estimating the true burden of mental illness” is among the 0.1% most impactful research products of all time tracked by Altmetrics and has become a standard reference in the field.

Burden of Mental, Neurological, Substance Use Disorders and Self-Harm in North America: A Comparative Epidemiology of Canada, Mexico, and the United States

Vigo, D., Jones, L., Thornicroft, G., Atun, R. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2020 Feb;65(2):87-98.

Disease burden and government spending on mental, neurological, and substance use disorders, and self-harm: cross-sectional, ecological study of health system response in the Americas.

Vigo, D., Kestel, D., Pendakur, K.,Thornicroft, G., Atun, R. Lancet Public Health. Feb 4, 2019

The burden of mental, neurological, substance use disorders and suicide: Informing mental health priorities for Argentina.

Vigo, D., Jones, L., Maidana, D., Krausz, M., Kestel, D., Argentine Journal of Psychiatry – Vertex. Nov 2018.

Disease burden and government spending on mental, neurological, and substance use disorders, and self-harm: cross-sectional, ecological study of health system response in the Americas

Vigo, D., Kestel, D., Pendakur, K., Thornicroft, G., Atun, R. The Lancet Public Health. Published online November 13, 2018

Estimating the True Global Burden of Mental Illness

Vigo D., Thornicroft G., Atun R. Lancet Psychiatry. February 01, 2016; 3: 171-78.