Mental Illnesses: The Commonest Cause Of Mental Disabilities

The social problem I have chosen to write about is mental illness. This problem is important to talk about “because of the number of people it affects, the difficulty of defining and identifying mental disorders, and the ways in which mental illness is treated” (Kendall, 2013, p. 227). “About 57.7 million people, or one in four adults, in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). “Many of these illnesses begin in childhood or adolescence, with the most common problems being anxiety disorder, mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, and substance abuse disorders” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). I chose this topic because I wanted to learn more about how mental illness is a social problem and I have been interested in learning more about mental illnesses and how to help people with mental disorders.

Although widespread, mental illness afflicts only about 6% of the population (NAMI, 2012). This translates to 1 in every 17 Americans or approximately 57.7 million Americans who experience a mental disorder in a given year. The World Health Organization reported that mental disorders account for 4 out of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed countries. In addition, the US Surgeon General's report stated that 10% of children and adolescents in the US suffer from these disorders. These, in turn, severely affect their lives at home, in school and with

Forget all the stereotypes of mental illness. It has no face. It has no particular victim. Mental illness can affect an individual from any background and the black community is no exception. African Americans sometimes experience even more severe forms of mental health conditions because of unmet needs and barriers to treatment. According to the Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. That’s why UGA third year Majenneh Sengbe is taking action as the co-founder of her upcoming organization Black Minds Daily.

Mental illness is nondiscriminatory, can affect any person and transcends all social boundaries. As a result, the issues surrounding mental illness have become common discussion pints among policymakers dedicated or required to formulate solutions around providing the long-term care needed by many patients. Healthcare reforms and changes to the systems that provide services to those living with mental illness and funding for services to the facilities providing care have become major social issues (Goldman, Morrissey, Ridgley, Frank, Newman, & Kennedy, 1992). The reason for this is primarily how it can affect a market economy and how much of a burden diseases of the mind can be in a country such as the United States. According to the 1991 Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization mental health burden accounted for “more than 15% in a market economy such as the U.S.” (The Impact of Mental Illness on Society, 2001). The study also states that for individuals over the age of 5, varying forms of depression are the leading cause of disability. A more recent study indicates that mental illness in general is found in more than 26% of the United States adult population, of which 6% are severe and limit the patient’s ability to function (Martin, p. 163. 2007).

Mental disorders are one of the most common causes of disabilities. In any given year over 18% of adults or close to 43 million people in the United

Mental health problems and illnesses are estimated to account for nearly 70% of all disability costs.” (Towers Watson, 2012)

Mental illness refers to all diagnosable mental disorders defined as “health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning.” (Williams & Torrens, 2008, p. 221) With one in every five American adults experiencing mental illness, the resulting economic burden exceeds $300 billion per year to include approximately $100 billion in direct health care expenditures, $24 billion in disability benefits, and $193 billion in lost earnings. (Insel, 2008) This estimate is conservative as it excludes the components of incarceration, homelessness, comorbid conditions, early mortality and the incalculable costs to families that absorb much of the financial and emotional burdens of these illnesses. Despite the fact mental illness contributes over 6% to the nation’s health care spending; the United States (U.S.) mental health system has historically lacked integration with physical medicine and public policy support. (Insel, 2008)

Statistical data reveals that 25% of adult Americans have a mental illness and more than half of the U.S. population will develop a mental illness at some point during their lifetime (CDC; APA). "Major Depressive disorder is a leading cause of disability for ages 15-44. Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults or 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year” while anxiety affects …40 million…adults ages 18 and older…” (NIMH; APA). Comparatively, cardiovascular, diabetes, epilepsy, obesity, cancer, and asthma, and other chronic diseases are surfacing with increased frequency among the mentally ill (CDC; APA). The aforementioned finding elicits question about medical care

Mental illnesses are becoming more and more prevalent among the population in the United States. In 2014, 1 in 5 adults were diagnosed with any mental illness (AMI) as evidence by statistics presented by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (SAMHSA, 2015); of those 1 in 5 adults, 18 years and older in the United States, accounts for 18.1% of the population, or 43.6 million people diagnosed with depression and/ or anxiety (Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Walters EE, 2005). From changes in mood, to changes in thoughts and behaviors, mental illnesses are sought to be higher in adults ages 18-25 (SAMHSA, 2015).

age, go through the circle of life so to speak, their general health declines and body systems

More people suffer from depression than you might think. People of all ages, backgrounds, lifestyles, and nationalities get clinical depression. An estimated 35 to 40 million Americas living today will suffer from major depression at some time during their lives. (4) This is about 13 to 20 percent of all Americans. (1) About half of these individuals will experience recurring depression. (3) Despite being what authorities call "the nation's leading mental health problem" (6), depression is often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed, and therefore not treated. (4) Often as a result, about 25 percent of these people attempt suicide to end their

Depressive disorders, for instance, often cause persistent feelings of sadness and worthlessness in it’s victim. This includes a lack of motivation, lack of quality of life and an onset of psychological distress. Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults which is around 6.7 percent of the US population, age

Silent but deadly as the saying goes. This phrase is used when describing something aggressive or violent that also has an element of surprise, such as a predator stalking its prey, or a stealth bomber in warfare. This phrase could also be applied to mental illness, as many illnesses such as anorexia have frighteningly high mortality rates but often go undetected or undiagnosed for extended periods of time. In addition to their danger, mental illnesses are widespread, with 21.4% of youth experiencing a severe mental disorder at some point during their life (National Alliance of Mental Illness, 2016). The prevalence of mental illness has raised questions of how better to provide healthcare to populations like young people and

Mental health disorders have become part of the modern life and they include a wide range of problems and disorders. These are universal disorders that affect people of all countries and societies, people of all ages, men and women, rich and poor, from urban and rural areas. These disorders have an economic impact on society, as well as the quality of life of individuals and their families. The most common disorders that usually cause severe disability as depression, substance abuse, schizophrenia, epilepsy, Alzheimer's dementia, mental retardation and mental disorders of childhood and adolescence. When people are upset or depressed, complain to their family or friends, someone close to them. But, when problems become more pronounced, there

World Health Organization (WHO, 2014) defines Mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Whereas Mental illnesses (MI) are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior associated with significant distress and impaired functioning (Health Canada, 2012). MI affects people of all ages, educational and income levels and cultures. Example of MI includes depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. According to Center for addiction and Mental Health (CAMH, 2009) 2% of the total population in the world are affected by serious MI. Moreover, Public Health Agency Canada (PHAC, 2012) claims that 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a MI in their lifetime and remaining 4 will have a friend, family member or colleague who suffers from mental illness. It is a well-known and accepted statistic 20% of people with mental disorders have a co-occurring substance use problem (PHAC,2012).