Facts About Mental Illness

What is mental illness?

• Mental illnesses and severe emotional disturbances are biologically based disorders, just as are diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Mental and emotional disorders disrupt a person's ability to think, feel, and relate to others.
• Mental illness is the nations second leading cause of disability after heart disease.¹

Who does mental illness affect?

• Twenty percent (20%) of adults, or about 40 million (40,000,000) Americans, experiences some type of mental disorder every year.²
• Five percent (5%) of adults, or about 10 million (10,000,000) Americans, have a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder.¹
• Ten percent (10%) children and adolescents suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment.²
• Young people between 15 and 24 years old are the age group most likely to experience a major depressive episode.²
• Depression in elders accounts for a majority of suicidal ideation, inpatient admissions, medical outpatient visits, emergency room use and medical co-morbidity.³
• Fifty to sixty percent (50-60%) of individuals with severe mental disorders are also affected by substance abuse. This compares with ten percent (10%) in the general population.⁴
• People with mental illness have a higher incidence of medical disorders, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes.⁵

How well are mental illness treatment needs met?

• Less than one-third of adults and half of children with a diagnosable mental disorder receive any level of treatment in any one year.²
• It is estimated that only 1 in 5 children (20%) suffering from a mental illness receives mental health services, the same level it was 20 years ago.²
• Health care insurers place arbitrary and more restrictive caps on benefits for some mental illness than medical disorders.²

What are the impacts of mental illness?

• Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among teens, exceeded only by accidents and homicides.²
• Untreated mental illnesses contribute to employee absenteeism and turnover, increased disability claims, lower productivity and lower work quality.
• Employers firmly believe that early, appropriate treatment of mental illness is essential to productivity in the workplace, and is vital to employees and their families.⁶
• It is estimated that 80-90 percent of people with serious brain disorders are unemployed.⁷
• It is estimated that 60% of all persons with mental illness are willing to work but unable to overcome the barriers.
• Individuals receiving treatment for schizophrenia are no more prone to violence than the general public.
• De-institutionalization has moved many people with serious mental illness from hospitals to homeless shelters, the streets, jails and prisons.²
• Jails, prisons and juvenile facilities are too often the treatment facilities for adults, children and adolescents with mental illness.²
• Sixteen percent (16%) of people in jails and prisons suffer from a serious mental illness.²
• Between 50 and 75% of youth in juvenile justice facilities suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder and frequently do not receive counseling, treatment or support.²
• It is estimated that at least 25% of homeless people suffer from serious mental illness.²
• It is estimated that 21% of persons in all hospital beds, at any one time, are there because of mental illness.
• Twenty-three percent (23%) of parents and caregivers of children with mental illness were forced by state regulations to consider relinquishing custody of their child in order to access mental health services and 20% actually did so.²

What are the costs of mental illness?

• Direct costs, including hospitalizations and medications, to the Nation for mental illness are estimated to be $70 billion annually.
• Indirect costs to the Nation for mental illness, including lost wages, family care-giving and lost productivity due to suicide, are estimated to be an additional $80 billion annually.
• Approximately 53% of all mental health and substance abuse treatment costs are publicly funded, compared to 47% of total health care spending.²
• Medicaid accounts for more than 50% of state and local mental health spending and is expected to reach 60% by 2007. Medicaid is nearly 15% of many state budgets, second only to education.²

How effective is mental health treatment?

• Diagnoses of mental disorders made using specific criteria are as reliable as those for general medical disorders.¹
• Mental disorders are as treatable today as general medical conditions.²
• Treatment success for Schizophrenia, Bi-Polar illness, Major Depression, Panic Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive disorder compare favorably with general medical or surgical treatments, such as angioplasty or atherectomy for heart disease, which have success rates at or below 50%.²
• Some cases of mental illness are long-term, severe and persistent, similar to diabetes and other medical conditions. The quality of life for such individuals can be improved by their focusing on their recovery and well-being and by access to services.²
• For individuals with mental illness and addictive disorders, integrated treatment delivered simultaneously at the same treatment facility by staff trained in both is more effective than sequential or parallel treatment of each disorder.²
• A growing body of evidence shows that most mentally ill persons in need of treatment can be served more effectively and at less cost in community settings than in traditional psychiatric hospitals.²
• The most effective treatment for mental disorders addresses all relevant issues, which may include securing affordable housing, income support, health care services, employment training, social services, social and recreational opportunities and appropriate medications.²

Is treatment for mental illness accessible?

• Stigma discourages many individuals and their families from even seeking treatment for mental illness and severe emotional disturbances.²
• Only one fifth of children and adolescents who need mental health treatment receive it.
• Forty million (40,000,000) Americans do not have health coverage.
• Mental health services for the indigent population is NH are limited, if available at all. Only limited emergency services are available, and that is often provided in hospital emergency rooms that are costly and ill-prepared for such emergencies.

Common Myths about Mental Illness

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

Reality: 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.

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

Reality: 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.

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

Reality: 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.

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

Reality: 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.

Myth: Stress causes mental illness.

Reality: 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.

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

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

Myth: People who have mental illness are dangerous.

Reality: People who have mental illness are not more violent than is someone suffering from cancer or any other serious disease.

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

Reality: 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.