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Prevalence

Most people believe that mental disorders are rare and “happen to someone else.”  In fact, mental disorders are common and widespread.  An estimated 54 million Americans suffer from some form of mental disorder in a given year.  According to the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), more people suffer from some form of mental illness than cancer, lung and heart disease combined.

 

What is Mental Illness?

A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thinking, perception, mood and behavior. Many mental illnesses are believed to have biological causes, just like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, but some mental disorders are caused by a person’s environment and experiences. There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Some of the more common disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. Symptoms may include change in mood, personality, personal habits and/or social withdrawal.

 

Stigma

Unfortunately, many people with mental health problems fail to seek treatment because of shame resulting from the stigma associated with having a mental illness. This stigma, which is perpetuated by many people in our society – including both the news and entertainment media – often inaccurately depicts individuals with a mental illness as being dangerous, weak, lazy or incapable.

 

Treatment

According to the NMHA, only one-third of the public believes that mental illness can be successfully treated. In reality, treatment for mental illnesses such as depression has an 80 percent success rate – a much higher rate than many physical diseases such as heart disease, which has a treatment success rate of between 41 and 52 percent. However, in order to cope with mental illness it is critical for individuals to receive appropriate treatment. If you think you or someone you know may have a mental illness, contact a mental health professional or your doctor for help.