Mental Illness Statistics and Facts
There are so many facts and mental illness statistics that have been published and we have gathered the top 20 stats from around the world.
People from afro-caribbean backgrounds are three to five times more likely to be diagnosed for schizophrenia and admitted to hospital than other backgrounds
Around 1 in 100 people are affected by schizophrenia in their lifetime
Each and every year around 80 million workdays are lost die to stress, anxiety and depression
About 16 people out of every 100,000 people commit suicide each year – in the USA it’s about 11 per 100,000 and in the UK 6 which equates to 5,000 people taking their own lives – the highest suicide rate is in Russia
10% of adults in the UK are depressed at any one time and in the USA it’s about 7% with women being twice as likely to be depressed as men. Around 16% of adults will experience depression at some point in their lifetime with most going undiagnosed or untreated
2.6% or 5.7million adults in America suffer from bipolar disorder
Over 70% of the prison population suffer from two or more mental health issues
Globally, over 450 million people suffer from a mental health problem or mental illness
1 in 10 children have a mental health disorder between the ages of 1 and 15
Women are more likely to suffer from mental illness than men
The cost to the economy is huge – in Canada it is estimated that $51 billion is lost through reduce productivity, in the UK $77 billion per year in lost productivity and care costs
Depression costs the UK economy £8.6 billion a year due to inefficiency and heath care costs
4 out of 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed nations are due to mental illness disorders
Mental health problems affect 1 in 5 american families
Between 70% and 90% of people treated with drugs or psychosocial measures reported a significant reduction in symptoms
13% of adults suffer from anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorders
4.1% of adults suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Coping with stress et al
In tough economic times when jobs are disappearing and you still have to pay the mortgage here are a few tips to improve your well being:
If you believe you have clinical depression go and get expert advice in the first instance from a medical professional
eat healthier foods – when depressed many people turn to comfort foods or junk food but it’s best to keep eating your 5 a day
Exercise and rest – it’s all too easy to sit in front of the TV eating – so during the summer get out into the fresh air to clear your mind and get your heart working a little more
Talk to others – rather than lock yourself away with your own thought get out and talk – talk to anyone who will listen about every day subjects rather than the stuff on your mind. Try and laugh so if you are in front of the TV watch comedy programs.
Do something else like volunteering
Relax – whether in a nice warm bath or meditate with some tapes
Sources: National Institute of Mental Health, Office for national statistics mental health in children, mental health foundation, mind, rethink, London School of Economics.
If you have something to discuss about these mental illness statistics and facts please do let us know below.
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