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what is mental illness? | |
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symptoms | |
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| caregivers | ||
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facts & myths | |
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good advice | |
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resource links |
What is mental illness?
Mental illnesses and severe emotional
disturbances
are biologically based disorders,
just
like 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.
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.
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.
Ten percent (10%) children and adolescents
suffer from
mental illness severe enough to
cause some
level of impairment.
Young
people between 15 and 24 years old
are the
age group most likely to experience
a major
depressive episode.
Depression
in elders accounts for a majority
of
suicidal ideation, inpatient admissions,
medical
outpatient visits, emergency room
use
and medical co-morbidity.
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.
People with
mental illness have a higher
incidence
of medical disorders, including
obesity,
heart disease and diabetes.
To learn more
If you'd like to learn more, are concerned you may
be suffering from mental illness, or know someone who is,
please download this MHAM publication:
A Guide to Mental Health Care in Maryland.
"We envision a future when everyone with a mental illness will recover, a future when mental illnesses can be prevented or cured, a future when mental illnesses are detected early, and a future when everyone with a mental illness at any stage of life has access to effective treatment and supports— essentials for living, working, learning and participating fully in the community."
Vision Statement, The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003
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