Mental illness is much more common than you may realize. Mental illness statistics can raise awareness, reduce stigma, and help you understand the impact it has on society. More importantly, if you are struggling with mental illness, it tells you that you aren’t alone. There are millions of people in America going through the same thing you are.
Prevalence of Mental Illness Statistics
How common is mental illness? Mental illness statistics show that 1 in 5 (20%) of adults experienced a mental illness in 2018. 1 in 25 (5%), experienced a serious mental illness. A serious mental illness is defined as one that “results in functional impairment which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.”
Depression and anxiety are common mental illnesses. Severe depression, severe bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are the most commonly seen severe mental illnesses.
In 2016, 16% of teens experienced a mental illness. It’s easy to assume that mental illness is an “adult” problem. However, these mental illness statistics tell a different story.
Nearly 4% of adults experience mental illness and substance disorder at the same time. This means for every four people with a mental illness, one of them has a co-occurring substance abuse disorder.
How Common is Treatment?
How often do those with mental illnesses seek treatment? According to statistics, somewhere around half the time. 43% of adults with mental illness got treatment in 2018. Just 64% of those with a severe mental illness sought treatment. 50% of teens with mental illness got help in 2016.
Unfortunately, mental illness isn’t treated as seriously as it should be. Only half of adolescents get treatment, and less than half of adults seek help. The average time from onset of symptoms is 11 years. It takes over a decade of struggling on their own before most people seek treatment.
Impact of Mental Illness on Individuals and Families
Those with a mental illness are 40% more likely to develop a cardiovascular or metabolic disorder. Among adolescents, those with depression are twice as likely to drop out of high school as their peers.
When one person in a family has a mental illness, it impacts everyone else as well. Over 8 million people in the U.S. care for someone with a mental illness, putting in an average of 32 hours of care each week.
The Impact of Mental Illness on Communities
20% of homeless individuals have a serious mental health condition. Mood disorders are the most common reason for hospitalization for those under 45 excluding childbirth. Mental illness statistics like this show that mental illness is an epidemic that is in many cases left untreated.
Nearly 40% of adults in the justice system and 70% of teens in the juvenile justice system have a mental illness. Serious mental illness costs nearly 2 billion dollars each year in lost wages.
Conclusions from Numbers
When looking at all these mental illness statistics, you can draw some conclusions. Mental illness is a very common condition, but it is often not treated. Lastly, more mental illness treatment could result in a decrease in crimes, homelessness, and drug abuse, in addition to substantial savings related to emergency healthcare costs.
Help at Right Step
Mental health statistics show just how common mental illness is, and how often it co-occurs with substance abuse disorder. If you are struggling with addiction and mental health issues, we can help. Our programs include 12 step, CBT, DBT, and motivational interviewing. You don’t have to do it alone. We can help. Call Right Step today at 17135283709 to discuss which treatment may be right for you.
