Nearly 46 million American adults have had a mental illness in the past year, a new government report shows.
Almost 30 percent of those aged 18 to 25 experienced a mental illness, twice as many as those aged 50 and older at just over 14 percent. And more women than men suffered a mental illness in the last year (23 percent vs. nearly 17 percent), according to the report released Thursday from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
"We all know people who have had a depression or an anxiety disorder, maybe something more serious like a bipolar disorder, but this is a pretty big number," HealthDay News quoted Peter Delany, director of SAMHSA's Office of Applied Studies as saying.
The recent economic downturn may be a factor for some problems, he said. "But these conditions are multifactorial — there are genetic issues, there are biological issues, there are social issues and also personal issuers," Delany explained.
A lot of people who are not receiving treatment for their mental illness, he said, cite lack of insurance as the main reason why. "There are people who know they have a mental health problem, but aren't interested in getting care," he added.
The new report defines mental illness as having a mental, behavioral or emotional problem based on criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is the standard reference for mental illness. The report excluded developmental and substance use disorders.
According to the report, some 11.4 million adults suffered from serious mental illness in the past year, which is defined as an illness that affected a person's ability to function normally.
Mental illness doesn't just affect people, but also takes an economic toll – about $300 billion in 2002, the researchers said. Mental illness also accounts for more disability in developed countries than any other illness, including cancer and heart disease, according to the World Health Organization.
