Numbers Don’t Lie: Mental Illness in America

Mental Illness in America, 2013

Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.¹

When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.² Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 — who suffer from a serious mental illness.¹ In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada.³ Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity.¹

In the U.S., mental disorders are diagnosed based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV).⁴

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders include major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder.

• Approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a mood disorder.^1,2
• The median age of onset for mood disorders is 30 years.⁵
• Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.⁵

Major Depressive Disorder

• Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44.³
• Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.^{1, 2}
• While major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the median age at onset is 32.⁵
• Major depressive disorder is more prevalent in women than in men.⁶

Dysthymic Disorder

• Symptoms of dysthymic disorder (chronic, mild depression) must persist for at least two years in adults (one year in children) to meet criteria for the diagnosis. Dysthymic disorder affects approximately 1.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.^1, This figure translates to about 3.3 million American adults.²
• The median age of onset of dysthymic disorder is 31.¹

Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.^{1, 2}
• The median age of onset for bipolar disorders is 25 years.⁵

Suicide

• In 2006, 33,300 (approximately 11 per 100,000) people died by suicide in the U.S.⁷
• More than 90 percent of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable mental disorder, most commonly a depressive disorder or a substance abuse disorder.⁸
• The highest suicide rates in the U.S. are found in white men over age 85.⁹
• Four times as many men as women die by suicide⁹; however, women attempt suicide two to three times as often as men.¹⁰

Schizophrenia

• Approximately 2.4 million American adults, or about 1.1 percent of the population age 18 and older in a given year,^{11, 2} have schizophrenia.
• Schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency.¹²
• Schizophrenia often first appears in men in their late teens or early twenties. In contrast, women are generally affected in their twenties or early thirties.¹²

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias (social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia).

• Approximately 40 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 18.1 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have an anxiety disorder.^1,2
• Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders or substance abuse.¹
• Most people with one anxiety disorder also have another anxiety disorder. Nearly three-quarters of those with an anxiety disorder will have their first episode by age 21.5 ⁵

Panic Disorder

• Approximately 6 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 2.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have panic disorder.^{1, 2}
• Panic disorder typically develops in early adulthood (median age of onset is 24), but the age of onset extends throughout adulthood.⁵
• About one in three people with panic disorder develops agoraphobia, a condition in which the individual becomes afraid of being in any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack.¹²

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Approximately 2.2 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 1.0 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have OCD.^{1, 2}
• The first symptoms of OCD often begin during childhood or adolescence, however, the median age of onset is 19.⁵

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Approximately 7.7 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 3.5 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have PTSD.^{1, 2}
• PTSD can develop at any age, including childhood, but research shows that the median age of onset is 23 years.⁵
• About 19 percent of Vietnam veterans experienced PTSD at some point after the war.¹³ The disorder also frequently occurs after violent personal assaults such as rape, mugging, or domestic violence; terrorism; natural or human-caused disasters; and accidents.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Approximately 6.8 million American adults, or about 3.1 percent of people age 18 and over, have GAD in a given year.^{1, 2}
• GAD can begin across the life cycle, though the median age of onset is 31 years old.⁵

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http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml

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