Mental Illness Facts and Statistics

Facts and Fiction about Mental Illness

Fiction: If I have a mental health problem I should be able to take care of it myself.

Fact: Some mental health problems, such as mild depression or anxiety, can be relieved with support, self-help, and proper care. However, if problems or symptoms persist, a person should consult with their primary doctor or a qualified mental health professional.

Fiction: If I have a mental illness, it is a sign of weakness- it's my fault.

Fact: Mental illness is not anyone's fault, anymore than heart disease or diabetes is a person's fault. According to the Surgeon General's report: "Mental disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof), associated with distress and/ or impaired functioning." Mental Illnesses are not a condition that people choose to have or not have. Mental illnesses are not results of willful, petulant behavior. No one should have to feel ashamed of this condition any more than any other medical condition.

Fiction: If I seek help for my mental health problem, others will think I am "crazy."

Fact: No one should delay getting treatment for a mental health problem that is not getting better, just as one would not wait to take care of a medical condition that needed treatment. Some people worry that others will avoid them if they seek treatment for their mental illness. Early treatment can produce better results. Seeking appropriate help is a sign of strength not weakness.

Fiction: People diagnosed with a mental illness are always ill and out of touch with reality.

Fact: Most people suffering from even the most severe of mental illnesses are in touch with reality more often than they are not. Many people quietly bear the symptoms of mental illness without ever showing signs of their illness to others, and most people with mental illness live productive, active lives.

Fiction: Stress causes mental illness.

Fact: This is only partially true. Stress may occasionally trigger an episode or cause symptoms such as anxiety or depression, but persistent symptoms appear to be biological in nature. There are probably many things that can contribute to mental illness- the cause is not yet fully understood.

Fiction: A person can recover from a mental illness by turning his or her thoughts positively and with prayer.

Fact: Recovery is possible when the person receives the necessary treatment and support. Spirituality can also be an important source of strength for some individuals.

Fiction: People who have mental illness are dangerous.

Fact: People who have mental illness are no more violent than someone suffering from cancer or any other serious disease.

Fiction: Most people with mental illness live on the streets or are in mental hospitals.

Fact: Over two-thirds of Americans who have a mental illness live in the community and lead productive lives. Most people who need hospitalization are only there for brief periods to get treatment and are then able to return home, just like people hospitalized for other conditions. Some people with mental illness do become homeless and could benefit from treatment and services.

Southwest Missouri Statistics

Greene County Missouri suicides     

• 2005                    23
• 2006                    40  
• 2007                     50
• 2008                    46
• 2009                    37

Source: Greene Co. Coroner's Office  

National Statistics

• Americans experience a mental health disorder in a given year. One in seventeen lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder, and about one in ten children have a serious mental or emotional disorder.
• About 2.4 million Americans, or 1.1 percent of the adult population, lives with schizophrenia.
• Bipolar disorder affects 5.7 million American adults, approximately 2.6 percent of the adult population per year.
• Major depressive disorder affects 6.7 percent of adults, or about 14.8 million American adults.According to the 2004 World Health Report, this is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada in ages between 15 to 44.
• Anxiety disorders, which include panic disorder, obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD), post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias, affect about 18.1 percent of adults, an estimated 40 million individuals. Anxiety disorders frequently co‐occur with depression or addiction disorders.
• An estimated 5.2 million adults have co‐occurring mental health and addiction disorders.Of adults using homeless services, thirty‐one percent reported having a combination of these conditions.
• Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, three‐quarters by age 24.Despite effective treatments, there are long delays—sometimes decades—between first onset of symptoms and when people seek and receive treatment.
• Fewer than one‐third of adults and half of children with a diagnosable mental disorder receive any mental health services in a given year.
• Racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to have access to mental health services and often receive a poorer quality of care.
• In the U.S., the annual economic, indirect cost of mental illnesses is estimated to be $79 billion. Most of that amount—approximately $63 billion—reflects the loss of productivity as a result of illnesses.
• Individuals with serious mental illness face an increased risk of having chronic medical conditions.Adults with serious mental illness die 25 years younger than other Americans, largely due to treatable medical conditions.
• Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S., and the third leading cause of death for ages 10 to 24 years. More than 90 percent of those who die by suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder.
• Twenty‐four percent of state prisoners and 21 percent of local jail prisoners have a recent history of a mental health disorder.Seventy percent of youth in juvenile justice systems have at least one mental disorder with at least 20 percent experiencing significant functional impairment from a serious mental illness.Over 50 percent of students with a mental disorder age 14 and older drop out of high school—the highest dropout rate of any disability group.
• In July 2007, a nationwide report indicated that male veterans are twice as likely to die by suicide as compared with their civilian peers in the general US population.

 Sources

*Facts or Fiction adapted from information provided by  NAMI New Hampshire

*National Statistics:  NAMI Fact Sheet