Just a guess, but might part of it be because in other countries it's easier to die from it? Particularly the Nordic countries you're probably referring to, you

Just a guess, but might part of it be because in other countries it's easier to die from it? Particularly the Nordic countries you're probably referring to, you can't sleep outside for as long as you can in California. While we do have sub-par healthcare for it, I personally think part of it is that people still don't "get" that mental illness is an illness. Even my wife, who recently started treatment for depression, finds herself "explaining" to her family "why" she was depressed, instead of really understanding that what makes it an illness is that it lacks an explanation. You aren't expected to have a reason for your flu. But for some reason in this country you are expected to have a reason for your depression (or insomnia, or psychosis, or whatever).