Facts & Stats

• ADHD, one of the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents, affects an estimated 4.1 percent of youths ages 9 to 17 in a 6-month period. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• About two to three times more boys than girls are affected. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Symptoms Include:
  • Impulsiveness
  • Hyperactivity
  • Inattention

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

• Autism affects an estimated 1 to 2 per 1,000 people. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Autism is about four times more common in boys than girls. Girls with the disorder, however, tend to have more severe symptoms and greater cognitive impairment. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Possible Indicators of Autism Spectrum Disorders:
  • Does not babble, point, or make meaningful gestures by 1 year of age
  • Does not speak one word by 16 months
  • Does not combine two words by 2 years
  • Does not respond to name
  • Loses language or social skills
  • Poor eye contact
  • Doesn’t seem to know how to play with toys
  • Excessively lines up toys or other objects
  • Is attached to one particular toy or object
  • Doesn’t smile
  • At times seems to be hearing impaired

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

One of the problems with accurately portraying Bipolar Disorder is showing its effects over time. It is characterized by periods of depression and manic behavior, lows and highs, which have very different effects on the individual.

• Studies show that 80 to 90% of those who suffer from bipolar disorder have relatives with some form of depression. – National Mental Health Association, 2000




• Bipolar disorder affects approximately 2.3 million American adults, or about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001




• The average age at onset for a first manic episode is the early twenties. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001




• Symptoms of a Manic Episode:
  

  • Increased energy, activity, and restlessness
  • Excessively “high,” overly good, euphoric mood
  • Extreme irritability
  • Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another
  • Distractibility, can’t concentrate well
  • Little sleep needed
  • Unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities and powers
  • Poor judgment
  • Spending sprees
  • A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual
  • Increased sexual drive
  • Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
  • Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
  • Denial that anything is wrong

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

• Originally thought to be at the “borderline” of psychosis, people with BPD suffer from a disorder of emotion regulation. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• While less well known than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), BPD is more common, affecting 2 percent of adults, mostly young women. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Patients often need extensive mental health services, and account for 20 percent of psychiatric hospitalizations. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Symptoms Include:
  • A person with BPD may experience intense bouts of anger, depression, and anxiety that may last only hours, or at most a day
  • These may be associated with episodes of impulsive aggression, self-injury, and drug or alcohol abuse
  • Distortions in cognition and sense of self can lead to frequent changes in long-term goals, career plans, jobs, friendships, gender identity, and values
  • Sometimes people with BPD view themselves as fundamentally bad, or unworthy
  • May feel unfairly misunderstood or mistreated, bored, empty, and have little idea who they are
  • People with BPD often have highly unstable patterns of social relationships

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

Clinical depression is much more common than people believe. It will affect more than 19 million Americans this year. One-fourth of all women and one-eighth of all men will suffer at least one episode of depression during their lifetime.

– National Institute of Mental Health, 2000

There are three main categories of depression: major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder.

• Approximately 18.8 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a depressive disorder. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Nearly twice as many women (12.0 percent) as men (6.6 percent) are affected by a depressive disorder each year. These figures translate to 12.4 million women and 6.4 million men in the U.S. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

• Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and established market economies worldwide. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Major depressive disorder affects approximately 9.9 million American adults, or about 5.0 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Symptoms Include:
  • Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
  • Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
  • Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
  • Decreased energy, fatigue, being “slowed down”
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
  • Trouble sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
  • Appetite and/or weight changes
  • Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
  • Restlessness, irritability
  • Persistent physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain, which do not respond to routine treatment

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 2003

DYSTHYMIC DISORDER

• Symptoms of dysthymic disorder (chronic, mild depression) must persist for at least 2 years in adults (1 year in children) to meet criteria for the diagnosis. Dysthymic disorder affects approximately 5.4 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older during their lifetime. This figure translates to about 10.9 million American adults. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• About 40 percent of adults with dysthymic disorder also meet criteria for major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder in a given year. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

• Females are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. Only an estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder are male. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• The mortality rate among people with anorexia has been estimated at 0.56 percent per year, or approximately 5.6 percent per decade, which is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all causes of death among females ages 15-24 in the general population. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

ANOREXIA NERVOSA

• An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Symptoms Include:
  • Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height
  • Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight
  • Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight
  • Infrequent or absent menstrual periods (in females who have reached puberty)

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

BULIMIA NERVOSA

• An estimated 1.1 percent to 4.2 percent of females have bulimia nervosa in their lifetime. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Symptoms Include:
  • Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode
  • Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications (purging); fasting; or excessive exercise
  • The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months
  • Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

BINGE-EATING DISORDER

• Community surveys have estimated that between 2 percent and 5 percent of Americans experience binge-eating disorder in a 6-month period. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Symptoms Include:
  • Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode
  • The binge-eating episodes are associated with at least 3 of the following: eating much more rapidly than normal; eating until feeling uncomfortably full; eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry; eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating; feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
  • Marked distress about the binge-eating behavior
  • The binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for 6 months
  • The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging, fasting, excessive exercise)

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by the experience of much more anxiety than is normal for most people from day to day.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by the experience of much more anxiety than is normal for most people from day to day. – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994
• Chronic, exaggerated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994
• Having GAD means always anticipating disaster, often worrying excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, though, the source of the worry is hard to pinpoint. – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994
• People with GAD can’t seem to shake their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994
• Worries are accompanied by physical symptoms, especially fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, and hot flashes. People with GAD may feel lightheaded or out of breath. They also may feel nauseated or have to go to the bathroom frequently. – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

• OCD afflicts about 3.3 million adult Americans. – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994
• The course of the disease is variable-symptoms may come and go, they may ease over time, or they can grow progressively worse. – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994
• If OCD grows severe enough, it can keep someone from holding down a job or from carrying out normal responsibilities at home. – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994

• Approximately 2.4 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 1.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have panic disorder. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• About one in three people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia, a condition in which they become afraid of being in any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Many people with panic disorder visit the hospital emergency room repeatedly or see a number of doctors before they obtain a correct diagnosis. Some people with panic disorder may go for years without learning that they have a real, treatable illness. – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994
• Symptoms of a Panic Attack Could Include:
  • Pounding Heart
  • Feeling sweaty
  • Feeling faint
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Hands may tingle, or feel numb
  • May feel flushed, or chilled
  • Nausea
  • Chest Pain
  • Smothering sensation
  • Sense of unreality
  • Fear of impending doom or loss of control

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994

While Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is most famously associated with the Vietnam Vets, it can affect anyone who has experienced a terrifying or traumatic experience. The disorder also frequently occurs after violent personal assaults such as rape, mugging, or domestic violence; terrorism; natural or human-caused disasters; and accidents.

• Approximately 5.2 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 3.6 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have PTSD. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• About 30 percent of Vietnam veterans experienced PTSD at some point after the war. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Symptoms Include:
  • Repeatedly reliving the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day
  • Sleep problems
  • Feeling detached, or emotionally numb
  • Easily startled
  • In severe cases, the person may have trouble working or socializing

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994

• Approximately 2.2 million American adults, or about 1.1 percent of the population age 18 and older in a given year, have schizophrenia. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Symptoms Include:
  • Hallucinations
  • Delusions
  • Disordered thinking
  • Unusual speech or behavior
  • Social withdrawal
  • Impaired ability to interact with others

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 1999

• Approximately 5.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 3.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have social phobia. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001
• Social phobia typically begins in childhood or adolescence. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001




• Characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. – National Institute of Mental Health, 2001




• Symptoms Include:
  

  • A persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and being embarrassed or humiliated by their own actions
  • Fear may be so severe that it interferes with work or school, and other ordinary activities
  • Often worry for days or weeks in advance of a dreaded situation
  • Physical symptoms often accompany the intense anxiety of social phobia and include blushing, profuse sweating, trembling, nausea, and difficulty talking

  – National Institute of Mental Health, 1994