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By the numbers: 14 interesting facts, statistics on mental illness

From anxiety to depression, and more subsets of mental illness, see a sampling of facts and figures.
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Amid the team's reporting and conversations with brave people willing to share their stories on mental illness, we've compiled a "by the numbers" list across various areas of mental health.

Here's a sampling:

  • About 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. -- 43.8 million or 18.5 percent – experiences mental illness in a given year. -- Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness
  • About 1 in 5 youth aged 13-18 experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life.
  • Only 41 percent of adults in the U.S. with a mental health condition received mental health services in the past year.
  • 16 million people had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.
  • Serious mental illness costs America $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year.
  • More than 90 percent of children who die by suicide had a mental health condition.
  • About 1.1 percent of adults in the U.S. live with schizophrenia.
  • About 2.6 percent of adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder.
  • An estimated 18-22 veterans die by suicide because of a lack of mental health treatment.
  • About 18.1 percent of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder, including PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias.

  • Anxiety disorders are treatable, but only 36.9 percent of those suffering receive treatment. -- Source: Anxiety and Depression Association of America
  • Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., with 40 million adults affected.

  • The prevalence of a serious mental illness – largely one that interferes with or limits one’s life – was higher among women (5.3 percent) than men (3 percent). -- Source: National Institute of Mental Health
  • The median age of someone developing a binge eating disorder is 21-years-old. It is 18-years-old for bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa.

    • More: Question about mental health? Resources connect you to need-to-know information

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