Reading: Transcript - Mental Illness Statistics

Welcome back to the mental health integration short. I am still Brandon Appelhans and happy to be with you. In the last section, we talked about mental illnesses—any mental illnesses and severe mental illnesses—and how they impact our ability to react and thrive. In this section, we're going to discuss how often these things occur and what that means for us. So let's go ahead and jump in.

Now, this data is courtesy of SAMHSA. All of these percentages are based on the United States, specifically the 2019 data, pre-pandemic. These numbers are not affected by COVID-19, providing a good measuring stick for understanding mental health issues. The National Institute of Mental Health provides an annual rate of mental illness broken down by gender, age, and race.

Firstly, the overall rate for any mental illness is about 20.6%, meaning roughly one in five people in the United States will suffer from a mental illness in any given year. This rate does not reflect lifetime rates, which stand at around 50.3%. Females are about 50% more likely than males to have a mental health condition, although some studies suggest that when accounting for workaholism and other symptoms, the numbers may be closer than previously thought.

Regarding age, mental health issues are more common in younger people and decrease with age. Factors such as high anxiety rates and increased technology use among youth contribute to this trend. Disparities in mental illness rates also exist among races and ethnicities, with significant gaps in diagnosis rates. However, it's important to note that mental illness rates don't necessarily reflect suicide rates.

White individuals have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and mental illness, yet significantly higher rates of suicide, especially among white men. American Indians and Alaskan Natives have the second-highest rate of mental illness among single race groups, highlighting significant disparities.

Moving on to mental health services, only about 45% of people with mental health issues received treatment in the last 12 months, indicating a significant treatment gap. This number is even lower for certain populations due to stigma and limited access to services. Treatment rates increase with age and are higher among white individuals compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

The prevalence of severe mental illness is approximately 5.2% of the population, with rates higher among females and young adults. Disparities in diagnosis rates persist across races and ethnicities, with some groups experiencing rates almost double the national average.

Treatment for severe mental illness is more common compared to any mental illness, with nearly two-thirds of affected individuals receiving treatment. However, disparities still exist, albeit smaller than those observed for any mental illness.

These statistics underscore the importance of understanding mental health issues and addressing treatment disparities. Mental illnesses affect a significant portion of the population, yet many individuals do not receive the help they need. It's crucial to recognize the prevalence of these conditions and work towards improving access to mental health services for all individuals. I'll see you in the next section.