Mental Illness is Real, Common, and Treatable

Many mental illnesses are caused by biochemical disturbances in the brain and others are triggered by exposure to an extremely stressful event. Mental illness is very common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 22.1 % of Americans ages 18 and older—about 1 in 5 adults—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. 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.

While both men and women are burdened by the personal and financial toil that mental illness brings, more women are affected by certain conditions. For example, women are affected twice as often as men by most forms of depression and anxiety disorders, and nine times as often by eating disorders according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Research by the World Health Organization has found that in the United States, mental disorders and suicide account for 15 % of the burden of disease--more than all cancers combined. Nationally, mental illness affects an estimated 40 million adults and up to 9 million children and adolescents. Suicide is the nation's eighth leading cause of death.

There are also differences in the way mental illness occurs in men and women. All mental disorders, including those such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that affect males and females equally, occur at different ages for women and men, exhibit different types and patterns of symptoms, and require different treatment responses.

Mental illness encompasses many conditions and disorders, including:

• Anorexia Nervosa
• Anxiety Disorders
• Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Major Depression
• Dissociate Disorders
• Eating Disorders
• Mental Illness and Substance Abuse
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Personality Disorders
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Sleep Disorders
• Suicide

For more information about these or other mental disorders, visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Women and Depression

Depression is an illness that affects your body, your mood and your thoughts. It affects the way you live, the way you feel about yourself and the way you feel about other things around you. Learn More

Mental Illness Anti-Stigma

An estimated 50 million Americans experience a mental disorder in a given year, yet people with mental illness would rather tell their employers they have committed a petty crime and were in jail than admit to being in a psychiatric hospital. Why? Because of the stigma that is associated with mental illness. Learn More

Healing & Treatment

People can and often do recover from a mental illness. Treatments often include a combination of medication and psychotherapy and are at least as successful as the treatments for many physical illnesses such as heart disease. Learn More

More Resources

• Mental Health of America (of Wisconsin) Burden of Suicide Report
• Mental Health InfoSource
• Schizophrenia support – MentalWellness.com
• Mental Help Net
• American Psychiatric Association
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Wisconsin Department of Health & Family Services Mental Health Programs
• Wisconsin United for Mental Health
• Charles E. Kubly Foundation
• Lt. Governor's Task Force Report on Women & Depression in Wisconsin
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
• The NAMI Helpline - 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or TDD - 1-703-56-7227