Mental Statistics

"Estimates are that at least one in four people is affected by mental illness either directly or indirectly. According to recent estimates, approximately 20 percent of Americans, or about one in five people over the age of 18, suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Four of the 10 leading causes of disability — major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder — are mental illnesses. About 3 percent of the population have more than one mental illness at a time. About 5 percent of adults are affected so seriously by mental illness that it interferes with their ability to function in society. These severe and persistent mental illnesses include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, other severe forms of depression, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Approximately 20 percent of doctors’ appointments are related to anxiety disorders such as panic attacks. Eight million people have depression each year. Two million Americans have schizophrenia disorders, and 300,000 new cases are diagnosed each year."