U.S Stigma
Source: World Survey of Mental Illness Stigma, 2015, further analysis on MentalHelp.net
- 7% of respondents from developed countries believed that mental illness could be overcome.
- 55% of respondents believe themselves to be at least slightly informed on the topic of mental health. When asked about other people’s knowledge, however, only 9% of those surveyed feel that their neighbors are informed.
- While 57% of adults believed that people were caring and sympathetic to persons with mental illness, only 25% of adults suffering from mental illness felt that people were caring and sympathetic to them.
- 63% of 18 to 24-year-olds believe themselves to be at least slightly informed on mental illness, and just 48% of those 55 and older feel the same way.
- 56% say they’d be uncomfortable talking to friends and family about their mental health, and 84% say they’d be uncomfortable talking to their employer.
- Individuals 55 and older are most likely to talk to friends and family about their own health. On the other hand, respondents ages 18 to 24 are the least likely to feel comfortable discussing their mental health with loved ones, despite the fact that the average onset age for many disorders falls in that range. But the younger crowd was also the most likely to discuss their mental health with an employer, perhaps demonstrating the fact that millennials, unlike some earlier generations, tend to value their personal well-being more than their careers and strive for more mutual respect in the workplace.
- 15% of respondents label people with mental illness as “a burden to society,” and 18% disagreed with the statement that people with mental illness are less dangerous than generally supposed.
- 40% of adults and 50% of children with mental illness receive treatment, with African-Americans and Hispanic Americans using mental health services about half as often as Caucasians.
- 43% of those surveyed felt that social media has increased the incidence of mental illness (only 3% believe it has helped to decrease the problem).
U.S. Stats
Source: National Institute for Mental Health, 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
- Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness.
- In 2017, there were an estimated 46.6 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with any mental illness. This number represented 18.9% of all U.S. adults.
- The prevalence of any mental illness was higher among women (22.3%) than men (15.1%).
- Young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence of mental illness (25.8%) compared to adults aged 26-49 years (22.2%) and aged 50 and older (13.8%).
- The prevalence of any mental illness (AMI) was highest among the adults reporting two or more races (28.6%), followed by White adults (20.4%). The prevalence of AMI was lowest among Asian adults (14.5%)
- In 2017, among the 46.6 million adults with mental illness, 19.8 million (42.6%) received mental health services in the past year.
- More women with AMI (47.6%) received mental health services than men with AMI (34.8%).
- The percentage of young adults aged 18-25 years who received mental health services (38.4%) was lower than adults aged 26-49 years (43.3%) and aged 50 and older (44.2%).
- In 2017, among the 11.2 million adults with serious mental illness, 7.5 million (66.7%) received mental health treatment in the past year.
- More women with serious mental illness (71.5%) received mental health treatment than men (57.7%).
- The percentage of young adults aged 18-25 years with serious mental illness who received mental health treatment (57.4%) was lower than adults aged 26-49 years (66.2%) and aged 50 and older (75.6%).
Source: CDC WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports
- Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 47,000 people.
- In 2017, suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54.
- There were more than twice as many suicides (47,173) in the United States in 2017 as there were homicides (19,510).
U.K. Stats
Source: Fundamental Facts about Mental Health 2016, Mental Health Foundation
- In England women are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders as men.
- The one-week prevalence of generalized anxiety in England is 6.6%.
- In 2014, 19.7% of people in the UK aged 16 and over showed symptoms of anxiety or depression - a 1.5% increase from 2013. This percentage was higher among females (22.5%) than males (16.8%).
- In 2013, there were almost 4 million cases of mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, in the UK.
- In 2014, younger people were more likely to have bipolar than older people - 3.4% of 16-24 year olds screened positive but only 0.4% of 65-74 year olds screened positive.
- For every £1 spent on early intervention psychosis teams that work with young people in their first episode of schizophrenia, £18 is saved.
- The average per person cost of lost employment (including service costs) due to schizophrenia and related conditions for those aged 45-64 is estimated at £19,078, while costs for those aged 15-44 were just under £30,000.
- In the past year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.
- 30% of older people reported never feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope in the past year, compared to 7% of young adults.
- 46% reported that they ate too much or ate unhealthily due to stress. 29% reported that they started drinking or increased their drinking, and 16% reported that they started smoking or increased their smoking.
- 51% of adults who felt stressed reported feeling depressed, and 61% reported feeling anxious.
- Of the people who said they had felt stress at some point in their lives, 16% had self harmed and 32% said they had had suicidal thoughts and feelings.
- 37% of adults who reported feeling stressed reported feeling lonely as a result.
- 36% of all adults who reported stress in the previous year cited either their own or a friend/relative's long-term health condition as a factor. This rose to 44% of adults over 55.
- Of those who reported feeling stressed in the past year, 22% cited debt as a stressor.
- For people who reported high levels of stress, 12% said that feeling like they need to respond to messages instantly was a stressor.
- 49% of 18-24 year olds who have experienced high levels of stress, felt that comparing themselves to others was a source of stress, which was higher than in any of the older age groups.
- 36% of women who felt high levels of stress related this to their comfort with their appearance and body image, compared to 23% of men.
- Housing worries are a key source of stress for younger people (32% of 18-24 year olds cited it as a source of stress in the past year). This is less so for older people (22% for 45-54 year olds and just 7% for over 55s).
- Younger people have higher stress related to the pressure to succeed. 60% of 18-24 year olds and 41% of 25-34 year olds cited this, compared to 17% of 45-54s and 6% of over 55s).
- Mixed anxiety & depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain, with 7.8% of people meeting criteria for diagnosis.
- 4-10% of people in England will experience depression in their lifetime.
- Common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are distributed according to a gradient of economic disadvantage across society. The poorer and more disadvantaged are disproportionately affected by common mental health problems and their adverse consequences.
- Mixed anxiety and depression has been estimated to cause one fifth of days lost from work in Britain.
- One adult in six had a common mental disorder.
- In 2017, 5,821 suicides were recorded in Great Britain. Of these, 75% were male and 25% were female.
- Between 2003 and 2013, 18,220 people with mental health problems took their own life in the UK.
- Suicide is the most common cause of death for men aged 20-49 years in England and Wales.
- One person in fifteen had made a suicide attempt at some point in their life.
- The suicide rate in Scotland rose by 8% between 2015 and 2016, with 728 suicides registered in Scotland in 2016.
- In England, women are more likely than men to have a common mental health problem and are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders.
- In 2013, 6,233 suicides were recorded in the UK for people aged 15 and older. Of these, 78% were male and 22% were female.
- 10% of mothers and 6% of fathers in the UK have mental health problems at any given time.
- One in five (19.1%) women had chronic mental disorder symptoms, compared with one in eight men (12.2%).
Global Stats
Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Global Burden of Disease Study
- Around 1 in 6 people (15-20% of the population) have one or more mental disorders. It's estimated that 970 million people worldwide had a mental disorder in 2017. The largest number of people had an anxiety disorder, estimated at around 4% of the population.
- The share of population with depression ranges mostly between 2% and 6% around the world today. Globally, older individuals (in the 70 years and older age bracket) have a higher risk of depression relative to other age groups.
- In 2017, an estimated 264 million people in the world experienced depression.
- The prevalence of anxiety disorders across the world varies from 2.5 to 7 percent by country. Globally an estimated 284 million people experienced an anxiety disorder in 2017, making it the most prevalent mental health or neurodevelopmental disorder. Around 63 percent (179 million) were female, relative to 105 million males.
- The prevalence of bipolar disorder across the world varies from 0.3 to 1.2 percent by country. Globally, an estimated 46 million people in the world had bipolar disorder in 2017, with 52 and 48 percent being female and male, respectively.
- The prevalence of eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia nervosa) ranges from 0.1 to 1 percent by country. Globally an estimated 16 million had clinical anorexia and bulimia nervosa in 2017. Bulimia was more common: around 79 percent had bulimia nervosa.
- The prevalence of schizophrenia typically ranges from 0.2 to 0.4 percent across countries. It's estimated that 20 million people in the world had schizophrenia in 2017; the number of men and women with schizophrenia was approximately the same (around 10 million each).
Source: World Health Organization, Adolescents, Suicide, Emergencies, Strengthening Response
- Mental health conditions account for 16% of the global burden of disease and injury in people aged 10 to 19 years.
- Half of all mental health conditions start by 14 years of age but most cases are undetected and untreated.
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds.
- 79% of global suicides occur in low and middle-income countries.
- Close to 800,000 people die by suicide each year. For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide. A prior suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population.
- To date, only a few countries have included suicide prevention among their health priorities and only 38 countries report having a national suicide prevention strategy.
- Approximately 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder.
- 6.6% of all disability among people over 60 years is attributed to mental and neurological disorders.
- The most common mental and neurological disorders in this age group (60+ years) are dementia and depression, which affect approximately 5% and 7% of the world’s older population, respectively.
- Anxiety disorders affect 3.8% of the older population (60+ years), substance use problems affect almost 1% and around a quarter of deaths from self-harm are among people aged 60 or above. Substance abuse problems among older people are often overlooked or misdiagnosed.
- Among people who have experienced war or other conflict in the previous 10 years, one in 11 (9%) will have a moderate or severe mental disorder.
- One in five people (22%) living in an area affected by conflict are estimated to have depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
Disorder Specific
Source: World Health Organization, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Depression, Schizophrenia
- 1 in 160 children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Globally, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression.
- Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder affecting more than 21 million people worldwide. It is more common among males (12 million), than females (9 million).
- People with schizophrenia are 2 to 3 times more likely to die early than the general population. This is often due to preventable physical diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease and infections.
- More than 50% of people with schizophrenia are not receiving appropriate care. 90% of people with untreated schizophrenia live in low- and middle- income countries.
Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Global Burden of Disease Study
- In 2017, an estimated 264 million people in the world experienced depression.
- The prevalence of anxiety disorders across the world varies from 2.5 to 7 percent by country. Globally an estimated 284 million people experienced an anxiety disorder in 2017, making it the most prevalent mental health or neurodevelopmental disorder. Around 63 percent (179 million) were female, relative to 105 million males.
- In all countries women are more likely to experience anxiety disorders than men.
- The prevalence of bipolar disorder across the world varies from 0.3 to 1.2 percent by country. Globally, an estimated 46 million people in the world had bipolar disorder in 2017, with 52 and 48 percent being female and male, respectively.
- In almost all countries women are more likely to experience bipolar disorder than men.
- The prevalence of eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia nervosa) ranges from 0.1 to 1 percent by country. Globally an estimated 16 million had clinical anorexia and bulimia nervosa in 2017. Bulimia was more common: around 79 percent had bulimia nervosa.
- Evidence suggests that having an eating disorder can increase the relative risk of suicide.
- The prevalence of schizophrenia typically ranges from 0.2 to 0.4 percent across countries. It’s estimated that 20 million people in world had schizophrenia in 2017; the number of men and women with schizophrenia was approximately the same (around 10 million each).