Mental Health Access

MENTAL HEALTH FACTS

• More than 43 million Americans struggle with mental illness.
• 1 in 5 young people (age 13-18) has or will develop a mental illness in their lifetime.
• Youth depression rates have risen from 5.9% to 8.2% since 2012. Depression symptoms can impact performance in school and interfere with personal relationships.
• Most Americans lack access to adequate mental health treatment. 56% of American adults with mental illness did not receive care in the last year.

• Mental illnesses can affect people of any age, race, religion, or income. A mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functioning.
• Many factors contribute to the development of a mental health condition, including life experiences (such as trauma or a history of abuse), biological factors, and family history of mental illness.
• Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
• Members of LGBTQ+ community are almost 3 times more likely to experience a mental health condition such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder.
• Common signs of mental health issues include: extreme mood swings, changes in eating habits, excessive worrying or fear, problems concentrating, and avoiding friends or social activities.
• 1/2 of all mental illnesses show early signs before a person turns 14 years old, and 3/4 of mental illnesses begin before age 24.
• More than 1 in 4 adults living with serious mental illnesses also struggles with substance abuse.

• In America alone, over 40 million people suffer from Anxiety.
• 13% of U.S. teens ages 13-17 (or 3.2 million) said they had experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year.
• An estimated 31.9% of adolescents had any anxiety disorder. Of adolescents with any anxiety disorder, an estimated 8.3% had severe impairment
• People with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population.
• Mental health problems have nothing to do with being lazy or weak and many people need help to get better. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:
  • Biological factors, such as genes, physical illness, injury, or brain chemistry
  • Life experiences, such as trauma or a history of abuse
  • Family history of mental health problems