When it comes to one’s mental health, it can be easy to feel alone. Although cold hard facts do little to alleviate those feelings, it certainly helps to put things into perspective.Understanding mental health statistics can potentially give you better perception of your own mind as well as the minds of those around you.
Let’s take a look at five mental health facts that could change the way you think about your own mental health.
1. Anxiety is more common than you think.
Anxiety is a common part of everyday life for a lot of people because anxiety disorders are actually some of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. According to recent data, anxiety affects 40 million adults, or 18.1 percent of the adult population.
Is that number bigger or smaller than you would have expected? And let’s not forget that there are many types of anxiety, including:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Specific Phobias
- Stress
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- A co-occuring related illness
As with other mental and emotional disorders, Anxiety comes with certain risk factors. People experiencing these hazards—such as buildups of stress, traumatic events, low self-esteem, genetics, depression and other mental health disorders, and substance abuse—are likely predisposed to experiencing anxiety.
If you suffer from anxiety, remember that you aren’t alone. Plenty of other people, including plenty of people you know, are struggling through similar issues.
2. Mental health disorders also affect youths.
We think of children as happy-go-lucky, but even young people can struggle with mental illness. One in five youths, or 21.4 percent between the ages of 13 and 18, live with a severe mental health disorder. So, too, do 13 percent of children between the ages of 8 and 15. It’s estimated that 49.5 percent of adolescents between 13 and 18 have had some form of mental health issue.
We don’t often think about mental health issues as something that affects the young, but that’s not been the case. Statistics like this remind us that preventative mental health treatment is as important for youths as for adults.
3. Mental health disorders often go untreated for a long time.
Even when someone is struggling, there is a likelihood that he or she may not have received needed help.
Many of the mental health issues that begin in childhood do not simply go away. According to research, there is an average delay of eleven years between the onset of mental illness symptoms and their treatment. This is due to the amount of time it takes for small changes in thought or mood to accumulate into more significant signs of mental health disorder. So by the time there are severe symptoms, the inciting trauma has long since occurred.
Lack of support can be caused by a number of factors, most of which are based on the context of someone’s life. Perhaps he or she doesn’t have access to care. Over 25 million people live in rural areas of the United States that lack needed mental health professionals.
Accessibility is a common reason for people not to treat their mental illnesses. Whatever the cause, untreated mental health issues can result in dire consequences, including unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, incarceration, suicide, and poor quality of life.
4. Mental illness is very common in adults.
Each year, one in five employed adults in the US experiences a mental health issue. Let’s focus on these three in particular: depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Symptoms of depression in a person’s daily life are not always easy to spot, especially because clinical depression comes in many different forms. Upsetting emotions, feelings of emptiness, pain, fatigue, and thoughts of suicide are just a few symptoms of depression that can be quite difficult for others to detect.
The workplace can also influence your depression and, specifically, how your depression progresses. If you’re concerned for your employment, you could be less likely to get help for symptoms of depression. Fear over impending termination and changes in your employability can put you in a situation where you’re unknowingly suppressing your depression.
Insomnia is like depression in one important way, which is that it often leads to an increased likelihood of diabetes, hypertension, weight gain, and a number of other possible effects. During the day, someone experiencing insomnia may appear visibly tired, seem irritable, and have trouble concentrating.
It’s estimated that one in four of the people passing you on the street suffer from mental illness despite their illnesses not always being visible on the surface. Creating an environment in which people feel comfortable discussing mental illness could be beneficial to many.
5: Therapy Really Actually Helps
Therapy is, in and of itself, nothing groundbreaking, but it’s always good to recognize how helpful it can be. According to a study from Johns Hopkins, even just a few sessions with a therapist can be immensely helpful and have been shown to reduce the risk of suicide among at-risk patients.
Even just a small amount of time with a therapist can help you to handle the challenges of mental illness.
It may seem daunting to speak with a therapist about your personal issues. However, even just a small amount of time with a therapist can help a person handle the challenges of mental illness. Therapy is able to help with healing from past traumas, mental illness, loss, and generally being able to move forward.
There are many types of therapy, each of which offers its own strategies for support. Some of the most widely used therapies include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you to develop healthier habits and mindsets.
- Interpersonal therapy improves interpersonal relationships and helps the patient find healthier emotional outlets.
- Family therapy focuses on improving communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving within the family unit.
- Psychodynamic therapy helps people understand the unconscious emotions and motivations that affect their thoughts and actions.
- Art therapy uses music, dance, drawing, and other forms of art to promote the expression of emotions and healing.
- Psychoeducation promotes the understanding of mental health conditions and recovery.
Each form of therapy has its benefits and could deliver a major benefit to someone’s recovery.
Silicon Beach Behavioral Health Can Help You
While it may seem like only a small issue, in truth, many people struggle with mental illness. In addition to the five mind-blowing mental health facts we’ve presented here, there is so much more information available.
If you are struggling with mental illness or looking for mental health treatments, Silicon Beach Behavioral Health offers invaluable assistance to help you take control of your life. Call our toll-free number today to find out what resources are available to you.