It is obvious that there are mental health disorders that are plaguing this country. In fact, it is estimated that over 40 million adults in the United States have a mental health disorder that is undiagnosed. So, what are the most common mental health disorders, what are the consequences and what treatments are available?

The Most Common Mental Health Diagnoses

Although many people believe that depression is a mental disorder that affects most Americans, anxiety is actually the most commonly diagnosed disorder. As of this writing, over 15 percent of the American population suffers from some form of anxiety.

However, depression is a close second. Roughly, 7 percent or 15 million Americans suffer from depression. A little over 5 percent suffer from bipolar disorder, and another 3 million Americans or one out of every 100 people live with schizophrenia.

What Are The Impacts Of Having Mental Health Disorders?

There are effects of mental health diseases that can be far-reaching and devastating. Many people do not know that many disability claims in the country are due to depression. It is also estimated that close to 90 percent of the suicides that happen in the United States are the result of depression.

Suicide is included in the list of the top ten causes of death in the United States, and almost $200 billion dollars are lost in the economy every year because of mental health illness.

Homeless shelters and prisons also house 26 percent and 24 percent of Americans respectively because of mental health diseases.

Treatment Options

One of the primary reasons why mental health disorders have become an epidemic in the United States is because of the lack of treatment options. Almost 50 percent of the adults that have been diagnosed do not receive treatment, and it is almost the same percentage of youth that does not receive treatment for their illnesses.

The statistics are not better for minorities. Hispanic Americans and African Americans only utilized the services of a mental health facility half as often as whites. Asian Americans utilized these services around a third as often as whites.

Is there anything that can be done? One of the first things that must be eliminated is the stigma that is associated with receiving these types of services.

This stigma is the result of mental health problems not being able to be seen. As a result, many sufferers are often told that they should simply ‘get over’ their feelings, or to ‘cheer up’. Others are viewed are ‘crazy’. It is these types of attitudes that have to be countered with anecdotes, education, and research from mental health experts, role models and influential people who suffer from a mental health disorder.

Institutionalization of these disorders is also important. More employers have to make allowances for employees that are dealing with these issues, and more health insurance companies must start offering better coverage for these issues.

As the impact of mental health disorders in the United States continues to grow, the greater the chance sufferers can improve their quality of life. This is why it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms and seek help as soon as possible.