Statistics About Mental Illness
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in every 4 people, or 25% per cent of individuals, develops one or more mental disorders at some stage in life. Today, 450 million people globally suffer from mental disorders in both developed and developing countries. Of these, 154 million suffer from depression, 25 million from schizophrenia, 91 million from alcohol use disorder and 15 million drug use disorder. Mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. Mental disorders can now be diagnosed reliably and accurately as the most common physical disorders; some can be prevented, all can be successfully managed and treated. Treatment works. Yet, as many as two-thirds of all people with a diagnosable mental disorder do not seek treatment, whether for fear of being stigmatized, fear that the treatment may be worse than the illness itself, or lack of awareness, access and affordability of care. Mental illnesses do not discriminate – they can affect anyone, men, women and children regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and socio-
economic status. Mental health problems represent 5 out of 10 leading causes of disability worldwide; amounting to nearly one-third of the disability in theworld. Leading contributors include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and dementia. Mental illnesses rank first among illnesses that cause disability in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. It is predicted that by 2010, depression will be the leading cause of disability worldwide, not cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or AIDS (WHO). Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time, and also with co-morbid chronic diseases such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart disease, etc. Mental illness is a serious public health challenge that is under-recognized as a public burden. The toll of mental illness is tragic:
Human Cost: Suicide
Suicide claims a life every 30 seconds According to the World Health Organization almost 3,000 people commit suicide every day in the world. For every person that succeeds in taking their own life there are at least 20 more who try. The global suicide rate is up 60% over the last 50 years with an even more marked increase in the developed world Suicide is among the top three causes of death among people between 15 and 34 years old, but most suicide victims are found among the elderly, those aged 60 and above Suicide worldwide causes more deaths every year than homicide or war. Suicide is a huge but largely preventable public health problem, causing almost half of all violent deaths and resulting in almost one million fatalities every year. Estimates suggest fatalities could rise to 1.5 million by 2020 In 90% of suicides, mental illness is the attributing cause
Economic Cost: Mental disorders cost billions of dollars
Mental disorders have clear economic costs. While numbers cannot convey the distress accompanying mental disorders, the economic impact can be calculated. Sufferers and their families or caregivers often experience reduced productivity at home and in the workplace. Lost wages, combined with the possibility of catastrophic health care costs, can seriously affect patients and their families’ financial situation, creating or worsening poverty. Wherever economic costs of mental disorders have been studied, the figures are staggering. The most comprehensive set of estimates comes from the Unites states. Mental disorders cost the United States more than $150 billion each year for treatment, for the costs of social service and disability payments made to patients, and for lost productivity and premature mortality.
Social Cost: Mental disorders can lead to unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, and poverty.
Although obviously substantial, this burden has not been efficiently measured. This is because of the lack of quantitative data and difficulties in measuring and evaluating. However, in America, fewer than 55,000 Americans currently receive treatment in psychiatric hospitals. Meanwhile, almost 10 times that number — nearly 500,000 — mentally ill men and women are serving time in U.S. jails and prisons. (The New Asylums – A PBS Frontline Documentary). An alarming 65% of boys and 75% of girls in juvenile detention have at least one psychiatric diagnosis. (Teplin, L. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 59, December 2002). Approximately 40% of the people who re homeless in America suffer from serious and persistent mental illnesses. Many of these individuals also suffer from co-occurring substance abuse disorders. (U.S. Conference of Mayors)