Mental Health Facts: 22 Things You Should Know

Medical conditions like mental illness can have an impact on a person’s day-to-day functioning.

Mental illness necessitates a different way of seeing and interacting with the world than does normal health. Since everyone can identify with mental health issues, the topic has become increasingly popular.

Although some people think it’s just a phase. Mental illness is neither a joke nor a myth to be dismissed lightly.

More than 43 million people in the United States suffer from mental illness. Every year, nearly 800,000 people commit suicide; one person commits suicide every 40 seconds.

One out of every five Americans has suffered from a mental illness, with one out of every 25 suffering from a serious mental illness such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

In this article, we present these mental health facts that intend to dispel common myths and increase public understanding and participation.

What Is Mental Health?

We can think of our mental health in terms of our feelings, thoughts, and social interactions. It has an impact on the way we think, feel, and do things in the world.

Also, how we handle stress, connect with others, and make healthy decisions are all influenced by our personality type. It is critical to maintaining a healthy mind throughout one’s life, from childhood to adulthood.

While they are frequently used interchangeably, mental illness and poor mental health are not the same. Poor mental health can occur without a diagnosis of a psychiatric condition.

A person who has been diagnosed with a mental illness may also go through periods of good health, mental clarity, and social connection.

Mental and psychological well-being are intertwined. To help people and society as a whole, various organizations are working to promote mental well-being, prevent illness, safeguard human rights, and provide assistance to those who are afflicted by mental illness.

Here are some quick facts from WHO:

• Mental, neurological, and substance use disorders account for 10% of the global disease burden and 30% of the non-fatal disease burden.

• Around one in every five children and adolescents in the world suffers from a mental illness.

• Depression is a common form of mental illness. It is estimated that 5.0 percent of adults in the world suffer from depression.

• In conflict-affected areas, about one out of every nine people suffers from a moderate or severe mental illness.

• Serious mental illness causes people to die 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population.

• Mental health workers are found in low-income countries at a rate of less than 2 per 100 000 people and in high-income countries at a rate of more than 70 per 100 000 people.

• Less than half of the 139 countries with mental health policies and plans say they comply with international human rights treaties.

• Depression and anxiety cost the global economy about $1 trillion per year in lost productivity.

Overall health includes both physical and mental well-being.

Many long-term health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, are made more likely in people who suffer from depression. In a similar vein, having a chronic illness raises one’s risk of developing mental illness.

Keeping in mind that a person’s mental health can shift over time and be affected by a variety of factors is critical.

People’s mental health may be harmed if their resources and ability to cope with the demands placed on them are depleted.

Poor mental health can result from a variety of factors, such as working long hours, providing care for a family member, or being in a difficult financial situation.

Mental Health Facts You Should Now

Every year, millions of Americans suffer silently from mental illness. The goal of mental health facilities and organizations is to de-stigmatize the condition by encouraging open dialogue and developing and implementing effective treatment methods.

We hope that these mental health facts will inspire you to talk about these topics with those you care about.

• More than 43 million people in the United States suffer from mental illness.

• One out of every five Americans has suffered from a mental illness, with one out of every 25 suffering from a serious mental illness such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

• Every year, over 800,000 people die by suicide around the world, with over 41,000 in the United States alone. It is the world’s second leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 29.

• Those who have been to war or have experienced a major disaster have a twofold increase in mental health disorders.

• People who suffer from mental illness are usually nonviolent. People with serious mental illnesses are responsible for only 3-5 percent of violent acts.

• Genetics, physical illness or injury, and traumatic life experiences are all factors that can lead to mental illness.

• Because of the stigma associated with mental illness, many people do not seek treatment. Adults with diagnosable mental illnesses receive treatment in only 44% of cases.

• People of any age, race, religion or socioeconomic status can be affected by mental illnesses. 

• LGBTQ+ people are nearly three times more likely to suffer from mental illnesses like major depression or generalized anxiety disorder.

• Half of all mental illnesses begin before a person reaches the age of 14, and 3/4 of mental illnesses begin before the age of 24.

• More than one-fourth of adults with serious mental illnesses also have a substance abuse problem.

• Medication, whether prescribed or over-the-counter, is not the only form of treatment for mental health issues. Symptom relief can be achieved through the therapy, yoga, meditation, and holistic treatments.

• It is possible to prevent certain mental health disorders, particularly in children and adolescents, by addressing risk factors such as trauma.

• Improving mental health services in low- and middle-income countries is not as expensive as many people believe. A small investment of $2-4 per capita would have a significant impact on millions of people’s lives.

• Serious mental illnesses cost the United States nearly $200 billion in lost wages each year.

• In the United States, 50.5 percent of adults who have had a problem with substance abuse also have a mental illness.

• One in ten young people has experienced major depression, which affects 20% of the population.

• 70-90 percent of people who get proper mental health treatment see a significant reduction in their symptoms.

• Despite their difficulties, the majority of people with mental illnesses live productive lives.

• In their lifetime, one out of every five young people (ages 13 to 18) has or will develop a mental illness.

• Since 2012, the rate of youth depression has risen from 5.9% to 8.2%. Symptoms of depression can affect academic performance and personal relationships.

• The majority of Americans do not have access to adequate mental health care. In the previous year, 56 percent of American adults with mental illnesses did not receive treatment.

How Common Mental Health Is?

In the United States, mental illnesses are among the most common ailments. At some point in their lives, more than half of all people will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder. In any given year, one in every five Americans will suffer from a mental illness.

A serious debilitating mental illness has affected one in every five children, either now or at some point in their lives.

One in every twenty-five Americans suffers from a serious mental illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.

Mental illness has no single cause. Several factors can increase the risk of mental illness, including:

• Early adversity, such as trauma or a history of abuse, such as child abuse, sexual assault, witnessing violence, and so on.

• Other ongoing (chronic) medical conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, biological factors or chemical imbalances in the brain, alcohol or drug use, and loneliness or isolation.

Below is the common mental illness that is widely prevalent around the world:

1. Anxiety Disorder

An estimated 18.1 percent of people in the United States suffer from an anxiety disorder. This includes social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, and separation anxiety disorder, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder and a few other mental illnesses.

A person can have multiple anxiety disorders at the same time. Anxiety can cause the following symptoms:

• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Sweating \sWeakness
• Controlling one’s worries is difficult.

2. Major Depression

Major depression affects approximately 6.9% of Americans. This equates to a population of 16 million people.

Although it is not the most common disorder, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. The following are some of the symptoms of major depression:

• Sadness, hopelessness, or helplessness that persists
• Sleeping problems
• Appetite shifts
• Suicidal ideation

3. Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia affects an estimated 1.1 percent of the population in the United States (2.4 million people). This is a chronic and serious mental health problem that can cause symptoms such as losing touch with reality, as well as hallucinations and delusions.

Symptoms associated with the condition can prevent a person from speaking or expressing emotions in some people.

This can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to navigate the world, and they may need special attention.

4. Borderline Personality Disorder

A borderline personality disorder affects approximately 1.6 percent of the population in the United States. The following are some of the most common signs and symptoms:

• Fear of being abandoned
• Unstable relationships
• Self-destructive, impulsive behaviors
• Extreme emotional ups and downs

5. Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease affects 5.8 million Americans, and the number is expected to rise. The following are early signs and symptoms:

• Loss of memory
• Difficulty with well-known tasks
• Disorientation to time and place due to language issues
• Poor or deteriorating judgment
• Having difficulty keeping track of things
• Misplacing belongings
• Mood or behavior shifts
• Personality morphs

6. Dual Diagnosis

Many people in the United States who suffer from mental illness also have a co-occurring mental health disorder. When a person has both a substance abuse disorder and a mental illness, this is known as a co-occurring disorder. 

Co-occurring mental illnesses affect 10.2 million adults in the United States. This equates to 50.5 percent of Americans suffering from a substance abuse problem.

Having a co-occurring mental health disorder can make it more difficult to treat a mental illness. It’s not unusual to see people with multiple health comorbidities or who use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate unresolved issues.

With time and significant medical support, learning how to live a life free of drugs and alcohol, as well as medication management, can help people overcome mental illness. With time and treatment, healing is possible.

Conclusion

The general public has many misconceptions about mental health. Mental illness has a negative connotation because of this.

People are afraid to get the help they need because of the stigma attached to mental illness. You can only remove the stigma by educating yourself on the subject.

Despite the prevalence of mental illness, treatment is readily available and accessible. The best way to dispel misconceptions about mental illness is to educate people about the facts.

Mental health issues remain a challenging field to study, despite recent advances in our knowledge.