The state of your mental health has a strong influence on other areas of your life.
Amanda Kruger, a licensed professional counselor in private practice in Denver who specializes in burnout, says depression, anxiety, trauma and other mental health issues are on the rise in the United States. She cites a series of contributing factors, such as:
- Constant access to news
- Social networks
- Lack of social and societal support to meet basic needs, including food, housing and schooling
- Inflation and low wages
- General difficulty recovering from the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Barriers to mental health care, such as lack of insurance, stigmaand shortage of qualified therapists
Obtaining an official diagnosis of the condition can take time. The average time between the onset of symptoms of mental illness and treatment is 11 years, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Not everyone has adequate access to mental health care. NAMI estimates that approximately 3 in 5 incarcerated people with a history of mental illness do not receive treatment while incarcerated. People living in rural areas have to travel twice as far to get to the nearest hospital as people living in urban areas.
The growth of online therapy can help increase the availability of mental health care for some people, but you still need internet access, which not everyone has.
Bipolar Disorder Statistics
Formerly called manic depression, bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that causes significant changes in a person’s mood, energy level, and concentration, depending on the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). This condition affects approximately 2.8 million adults in the United States.
Bipolar disorder manifests itself in extreme highs, called manic episodes, and severe lows. During manic episodes, the person may feel very energetic and not sleep for long periods of time. During times of depression, they may feel hopeless and incredibly depressed.
The three types of bipolar disorder are bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymic disorder:
- Bipolar I manifests as severe manic episodes lasting at least a week or requiring immediate medical attention. Depressive symptoms may persist for up to two weeks. Four or more episodes of mania or depression in a year are called “rapid cycling.”
- Bipolar II Symptoms include depressive and manic episodes, but they are less severe than the manic episodes of bipolar I disorder.
- Cyclothymic disorder is a less serious type of bipolar disorder. People with cyclothymic disorder have recurring symptoms that are not intense enough or long enough to qualify as manic or depressive episodes.
Although bipolar disorder can occur during adolescence, the age of onset is around 25, according to NAMI. This condition affects both men and women. Genetics plays a role in the development of bipolar disorder: if a child has a parent with the condition, their risk increases.
Schizophrenia Statistics
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that can cause people to lose contact with reality, depending on NIMH. Less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, or about 2.8 million people, has schizophrenia, according to the study. American Psychiatric Association.
A broad age range for diagnosis is between 16 and 30 years old. Symptoms tend to affect men earlier in life than women. The risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia is higher in people who have a close relative with the illness, a study suggests. article published in September 2017 in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin.
The symptoms of schizophrenia are severe, varied, and often disruptive to daily life, according to the NIMH. There are three classes of symptoms: psychotic, social and personal, and cognitive.
Psychotic symptoms include:
- Hallucinationslike hearing voices or feeling things that don’t exist
- Delusionswhich are beliefs that seem irrational to others, such as thinking that people communicate with them through radio or television.
- Thought disorderwhich happens when people have difficulty organizing their thoughts in a way that makes sense to others.
- Movement disordermanifested by unusual or repetitive movements of the body or limbs
Negative social and personal symptoms include:
- Withdrawal from activities
- Difficulty feeling pleasure in life
- Speaking in a non-expressive voice and tone
- Having low energy (an extreme example is catatonia, where the person’s limbs become rigid)
Cognitive symptoms include:
- Difficulty processing information, which affects decision making
- Difficulty paying attention
- Difficulty using new information
Anxiety Statistics
Anxiety is a mental health problem characterized by a sudden feeling of extreme fear or worry. Anxiety affects about 40 million adults in the United States, according to the study. Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Factors that influence anxiety include genetics, brain chemistry, life events, and personality. Different types of anxiety affect people differently. Examples include the following:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is excessive worry about events and activities that occur frequently and for at least six months, according to the NIMH. The ADAA found that GAD affects 6.1 million American adults and affects women more than men.
- Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)) is a persistent fear of social situations because people fear embarrassing themselves, according to the NIMH. According to the ADAA, SAD affects 7.1 million people.
- Panic disorder These are sudden and unexpected panic attacks. This pathology affects 6 million adults, although it can occur in children. It affects women more than men, according to ADAA.
- Specific phobias are extreme fears of objects or situations that pose little or no real danger. According to the ADAA, approximately 19.3 million American adults suffer from a phobia, and this trend begins to manifest itself by age 7. Women are twice as likely to have a phobia as men.
Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand, according to a article published in May 2020 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The article cited previous life difficulties, such as trauma or neglect, parenting style, and current exposure to stress, as potential non-genetic causes for the co-occurrence of these two conditions.
Depression Statistics
Depression is a mental health problem that goes beyond occasional or circumstantial sadness, such as grieving the loss of a loved one, according to the CDC. It is a low mood that persists and, if severe, can affect your ability to complete daily tasks.
According to data from a CDC National Health Interview Survey 2019, the percentage of adults experiencing symptoms of depression is highest among young adults. The specific percentages by age group are as follows:
- Ages 18 to 29: 21.0 percent
- 30 to 44 years old: 16.8 percent
- 45 to 64 years old: 18.4 percent
- 65 and over: 18.4 percent
Forms of depression
Depression manifests itself in various forms.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is an overwhelming sadness or loss of interest and pleasure in most activities. According to ADAA, MDD is characterized by the presence of at least five of nine symptoms. One of the symptoms must be either overwhelming sadness or a loss of interest or pleasure in most activities. The remaining seven symptoms include:
- Changes in appetite (increase or decrease in hunger)
- Insomnia or hypersomnia
- Slow thought or movement
- Constant fatigue
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
- Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
- Recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal ideation with or without specific suicide plans
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) occurs during the change of season, usually during the transition from autumn to winter. During these times, people experience symptoms of depression that dissipate when the season changes again, according to the NIMH.
Perinatal depression begins during pregnancy. According to March of Dimes, people may experience emotional breakdowns, sadness, crying, and changes in appetite. Perinatal pregnancy affects 1 in 7 women. Tell your healthcare professional if you think you may have depression during pregnancy.
Postpartum Depression (PPD) occurs one to three weeks after the baby is born. People with PPD experience symptoms such as extreme sadness, lack of interest in activities that previously brought them joy, and difficulty bonding with their baby, according to the March of Dimes. If you start showing signs of PPD, contact your doctor immediately.
Suicide statistics
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. THE CDC indicates that approximately 48,000 people committed suicide in 2021. That’s one death every 11 minutes.
Suicide was the second leading cause of death among children and adolescents aged 10 to 14 and adults aged 25 to 34 in 2020, according to the CDC.
Suicide can be hereditary. Family members who have experienced the death of a first parent or spouse by suicide are 2.58 times more likely to commit suicide themselves, study finds. article published in October 2022 in Frontiers of psychiatry. The article also highlights genetic and familial factors, such as generational violence, linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Warning signs of suicide in adults
THE Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shares the following suicide warning signs for adults:
- Talking about suicide
- Agitated behavior
- Behaving recklessly
- Talk about being a burden
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs
- Sleep changes (too little or too much)
- Withdraw from others
- Rage
- Extreme mood swings
Warning signs of suicide in children and adolescents
SAMHSA also shares the following suicide warning signs for adults and adolescents:
- Talking about or planning suicide
- Expressing despair about the future
- Intense emotional pain
- Removal of friends
- Sleep changes (too little or too much)
- Anger that seems irrelevant or out of context
- Increased restlessness or irritability
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifebuoy to 988 or use his online chat functionality. Help is available 24/7. American Sign Language users can use the 988 Videophone. Veterans who are hard of hearing can text a Veterans Crisis Line responder at 838255. These conversations are free and confidential. In life-threatening situations, call 911.
