Mental Health Access
Individuals who are considering suicide or are otherwise in mental health crisis can call or text 988, the new national suicide hotline that went into effect July 16, 2022. It takes callers directly to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, where they’re connected to trained counselors
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