The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a summary report yesterday detailing how the CDC measures mental illness in the U.S., and summary statistics from those measurements. Most of the information summarized in the report is not new, since it was previously published. What the report does do is bring a great deal of this information together in a single paper.
The report notes that according to the World Health Organization, mental illness — that is, any mental disorder — accounts for more disability in developed countries than any other group of illnesses, including cancer and heart disease. Yet all we hear people talk about in the media time and time again is reducing your risk of these health problems. We rarely hear anyone talk about reducing your risk of anxiety or depression.
According to a rigorous health survey conducted by the CDC in 2004, an estimated 25 percent of adults in the U.S. reported having a mental illness in the previous year. Lifetime prevalence rates of mental illness in the U.S. were around 50 percent when measured back in 2004. That means in a family of four, one of you likely has a mental illness.
However, mental illness is greatly weighted toward our senior years, when things start looking pretty bleak.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines. The comments below begin with the oldest comments first. Click on the last comments page to jump to the most recent comments.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines.
Post a Comment:
Copyright © 1995-2013 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 19 May 2013
|
The fact that mental illnesses and physical diseases are related confirms the conclusions of many different researches in various scientific fields. Mental illnesses may cause physical problems. Therefore, their diagnosis is very important for the cure or the prevention of heart attacks and various health diseases.
If you live in our society as is per 2011 life experiences, and you go by the black and white dogma of DSM4 TR and soon to be DSM5, then what the hell, let’s just say 50% of people have mental illness diagnoses. Who wouldn’t be anxious or depressed to a point of at least meeting Anxiety Disorder NOS or Depression NOS living with the uncertainty and lack of opportunity we are faced with in these times.
And yet, having Axis 4 psychosocial stressors does not lead to impairment that should meet the criteria of illnesses that would deem 25% of people have DSM illnesses. Are a lot of people struggling and could benefit from mental health care interventions, at least therapy. SURE! Do 25% or more people need psychotropics? I would hope not. Has the insurance system corrupted care opportunities beyond redemption? Unfortunately, I have to say yes. Have clinicans aided and abetted this corruption? Unforunately again, I have to say yes.
Is there hope and opportunity for change? Not if you turn to politicians and other non clinicians for implementing such opportunities. People turn to mental health diagnoses for issues and situations like they turn to pez these days. And yet, doesn’t the taste of said candy get boring after so many ingestions?
By the way, with the growing population of those over 65 being diagnosed with mental health care issues, watch out with this population of the boomers. And I am one of them, just not at that age yet. If we as clinicians buy into their expectations and demandingness, mental health care is even in more trouble than it is now.
Just my opinion.
Mental illness isn’t as trendy as cancer or heart disease. Nobody cares, even when it can be just as fatal.
What do we open the bid of 50% of people have mental illness, who will cast the first bid,OK we’ve got 55% up the back with doctor Seesick, do we have a better offer, yes, we’ve got doctor Yorsik in the front row with a 60% bid, were starting to get warm, is there a new fresh bid anywhere, anyone want to up the anti, hang on we’ve been given a whole ten percent rise by Doctor Wherallsick with a new bid of 70%, any one want to better that, going once, going twice, are we all done,for the third and final time, Wait we have one more bid, doctor Staysick reckons its 75%, once, twice, sold to Dr Staysick on behalf of, Mental Health.
This auction was sponsored by The Government, The Psychiatric Association, The FDA, And a number of stay in the dark drug companies.
I have to admit, through my observations growing up(im now 32) The joke that everyone is dysfinctional in some way almost rings true. If you really pay attention to people, you can see that many have mental issues even if they are minor.
I also think the CDC needs to pay more attention to anxiety, especially since it (along with depression) often plays such an important co-morbid role with both chronic and acute medical problems. I think the emphasis on Depression may be attributable to the widespread use of the Beck Depression Inventory, which at one time at least was available in the public domain. Somone needs to develop and release to the public domain an anxiety inventory, ideally that also gets at PTSD and panic disorders, but does not require royalties!
To whomever claimed mental illness is not trendy… so not true. Mental illness and prescription pills are fashion accessory, just like LV purse, iPad and chivava dog.
Let us face the fact that the world sucks and learn to deal with it and fight it… rather than pop pill, hug therapist and learn to adjust to this profoundly sick society.
Such a simplistic, and moronic, response to such a complicated problem. You are the reason people hide in their mental illness. You are the reason people are afraid to seek help. They don’t want to be stigmatized by the likes of you so they continue to suffer silently in their illness. I wish you could have been there to tell my daughter’s 21 year old friend to “deal, fight and adjust” before he took his own life after a lengthy battle with severe, debilitating depression. I’m sure you could have saved him with your glorious pearls of wisdom. I have struggled with my own mental health issues for more than 30 years. It’s not something I was always willing to share. Medication and counselling have improved my quality of life. It’s not a crutch, it’s not a fashion accessory, and it’s not a character flaw. It’s an illness that millions of people suffer from in some form/degree or another. What is profoundly sick in this society are people like you who are so quick to judge something they don’t understand and know absolutely nothing about. People who lack empathy. At the very least you could keep your stupid, uneducated opinions to yourself so as to not offend or hurt someone who is struggling enough already.
Yes mental illness is trendy for the wrong reasons. Mental illness is used by many to serve as a source to get the pills that they use as a crutch. To read the other lines above and see that ” Hug a therapist and just learn to adjust” really concerns me because this is the though process that keeps others from actively seeking mental health assistance when they are in a point in their life when they need a little guidance. Everyone has stressors, and every one at some point does show signs that match diagnostic criteria for the DSM BUT not everybody has healthy adaptations to stressors and not everyone is able to perceive the reality of situations for what they are and properly respond. This is the population I have dedicated my life and a large amount of my personal money to help. Do i believe the pills cure anything? NO Do i believe that mental health is a valid and necessary field to assist people? YES. So if a hug or one hour talk to a counselor or therapist keeps a client from binge drinking, having a stroke, or having prolonged exposure to high levels of stress resulting in health issues than let them have the hug or chat and not down play the profession.
Please release All despair – I will have an easy read, but very informative book on overcoming, and healing from “Mental Health Disorders” coming out as early as April 2012. Please hang in there, trust yourself, eat a healthy earthing diet, research your food intolerances via info @ allergy.com (.au?) , and give those type of foods a break for a while. Validate your feelings and Emotions.Live Your Dreams. Love Yourself. Read, and use to heal your self M.Scott Peck’s ” The Road Less Travelled”. and Louise Hay’s ” You Can Heal Your Life” – with tapes/CDs.Read Doreen Virtue’s Books also. Let no man stand in your way. I love you, and will have more info. available to the public when my book is complete. Love, from Joanna
Would you let me know where i can find this kind of statististics in canada. Tks