One in five US adults dealt with a mental illness in 2013

1 in 5 U.S. adults dealt with a mental illness in 2013
Federal official urges people to seek treatment to 'restore their well-being.'

(HealthDay)—Nearly one in five American adults—43.8 million people—had a diagnosable mental illness in 2013, federal officials reported Thursday.

The report also found that 10 million adults had a serious , 15.7 million had major depressive episodes, 9.3 million had serious thoughts of suicide, 2.7 million made suicide plans and 1.3 million attempted suicide.

The findings were similar to those in 2012, the report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said.

The review, based on the agency's annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, also found that 2.6 million (about 10 percent) of children aged 12 to 17 suffered major depressive episodes in 2013, but only about 38 percent received treatment for depression.

In 2013, about 34.6 million adults (14.6 percent) received care, including inpatient or outpatient care or . That rate was comparable to 2012, but higher than the rates in 2002 to 2011, which ranged from 12.8 percent to 13.8 percent, according to the report.

"It is a serious issue that millions of Americans are needlessly affected by mental illness when they can get effective treatment to restore their well-being," SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said in an agency news release.

"Now more than ever, people can get the help they need to recover from mental disorders and live full, active lives—they just need to take the first step and seek help," she added.

More information: The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about mental illness.

Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Citation: One in five US adults dealt with a mental illness in 2013 (2014, November 20) retrieved 19 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-11-adults-dealt-mental-illness.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Ten percent of Americans admit to illicit drug use

1 shares

Feedback to editors