Frequently Asked Questions
Everyone needs a little help now and then. The following information is from the National Institute of Mental Health, and can be found on the web at:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/fact-sheets.shtml.
We suggest that you find out for yourself what is he current research and best practices available, in order for you to make informed decisions about your next steps:
- Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally.
- An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.
- When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.
- Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 — who suffer from a serious mental illness.
- Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44.
- Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity.