Statistics

Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older—about 1 in 5 adults—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 1998 U.S. Census residential population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people. In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders—major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. more>>

The Impact of Mental Illness on Society

The burden of mental illness on health and productivity in the United States and throughout the world has long been underestimated. Data developed by the massive Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University, reveal that mental illness, including suicide, accounts for over 15 percent of the burden of disease in established market economies, such as the United States. This is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers. more>>

Publications

The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America
A summary of statistics that describe the prevalence of mental disorders in America.

"...the Burden of Psychiatric Conditions has been heavily underestimated..."
A fact sheet that compares the economic burden of mental disorders with the economic burden of other diseases.

Related Information

• Epidemiology of Mental Illness, a section from Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
• Fact Sheets from Culture, Race, and Ethnicity: A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
• The Global Burden of Disease study, conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University