W.H.O. Facts
Around 20% of the world's children and adolescents have mental disorders or problems
About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14. Similar types of disorders are being reported across cultures. Neuropsychiatric disorders are among the leading causes of worldwide disability in young people. Yet, regions of the world with the highest percentage of population under the age of 19 have the poorest level of mental health resources. Most low- and middle-income countries have only one child psychiatrist for every 1 to 4 million people.
Mental and substance use disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide.
About 23% of all years lost because of disability is caused by mental and substance use disorders.
Over 800 000 people die due to suicide every year and suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year-olds. There are indications that for each adult who died of suicide there may have been more than 20 others attempting suicide. 75% of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. Mental disorders and harmful use of alcohol contribute to many suicides around the world. Early identification and effective management are key to ensuring that people receive the care they need.
War and disasters have a large impact on mental health and psychosocial well-being.
Rates of mental disorder tend to double after emergencies.
Mental disorders are important risk factors for other diseases, as well as unintentional and intentional injury.
Mental disorders increase the risk of getting ill from other diseases such as HIV, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and vice-versa.
Stigma and discrimination against patients and families prevent people from seeking mental health care
Misunderstanding and stigma surrounding mental ill health are widespread. Despite the existence of effective treatments for mental disorders, there is a belief that they are untreatable or that people with mental disorders are difficult, not intelligent, or incapable of making decisions. This stigma can lead to abuse, rejection and isolation and exclude people from health care or support. Within the health system, people are too often treated in institutions which resemble human warehouses rather than places of healing.
Globally, there is huge inequity in the distribution of skilled human resources for mental health
Shortages of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, psychologists and social workers are among the main barriers to providing treatment and care in low- and middle-income countries. Low-income countries have 0.05 psychiatrists and 0.42 nurses per 100 000 people. The rate of psychiatrists in high income countries is 170 times greater and for nurses is 70 times greater.
There are 5 key barriers to increasing mental health services availability
In order to increase the availability of mental health services, there are 5 key barriers that need to be overcome: the absence of mental health from the public health agenda and the implications for funding; the current organization of mental health services; lack of integration within primary care; inadequate human resources for mental health; and lack of public mental health leadership.
These facts come directly from the National Institues of Health and can be quite distrubing
Over 30% of the U.S. population have a diagnosable behavioral Health issue
Over 50% of the U.S. population have a diagnosable behavioral Health issue in their lifetimes
1 out of every 3 people complaining of chest pain in the Emergency Room actual have depression or Anxiety
Bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans, about 1.7% of the U.S. population
Bipolar disorder results in a 9.2 year reduction in expected life span
Did you know that 37% of depression cases take a bipolar course by years 3-5
Over 5 million people in the U.S. have bipolar disorder
17% of people with bipolar disorder commit suicide
People with mental Illness are 250% more likely to be hospitalized
Time magazine - 50% of the homeless have a mental illness & over 30% of the prison population
Longitudinal studies suggest that roughly a third of all depressions have a bipolar course
Most missed diagnoses come from hidden comorbid conditions
It takes between 3-8 years to get a correct diagnosis according to the National Institutes of Health
The patient to practitioner ratio is greater than 10,000:1
The Impact of Mental Illness in America
Serious mental illness costs America $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year.
Mood disorders such as depression are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the U.S. for both youth and adults ages 18 to 44.18
Individuals living with serious mental illness face an increased risk of having chronic medical conditions.
Adults living with serious mental illness die on average 25 years earlier than other Americans, largely due to treatable medical conditions.
Over 50 percent of students with a mental health condition age 14 and older who are served by special education drop out−the highest dropout rate of any disability group.
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. (more common than homicide) and the third leading cause of death for ages 15 to 24 years.
More than 90 percent of those who die by suicide had one or more mental disorders.
Although military members comprise less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, veterans represent 20 percent of suicides nationally. Each day, (22 suicides per day) .