Here are the numbers…
Mental illness affects one in four (1 in 4) adults. The National Institute of Mental Health wants us to understand that gathering statistics on mental illness is always a work in progress. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides the following facts and numbers:
- One in four adults−approximately 61.5 million Americans−experiences mental illness in a given year. One in 17−about 13.6 million−live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder.
- Approximately 20 percent of youth ages 13 to 18 experience severe mental disorders in a given year. For ages 8 to 15, the estimate is 13 percent.
- Approximately 1.1 percent of American adults—about 2.4 million people—live with schizophrenia.
- Approximately 2.6 percent of American adults−6.1 million people−live with bipolar disorder.
- Approximately 6.7 percent of American adults−about 14.8 million people−live with major depression.
- Approximately 18.1 percent of American adults−about 42 million people−live with anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder and phobias.
- About 9.2 million adults have co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders.
- Approximately 26 percent of homeless adults staying in shelters live with serious mental illness and an estimated 46 percent live with severe mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
6.1 million American adults live with bipolar disorder
We started this conversation about bipolar disorder yesterday, and we indicated today we would provide you with additional resources about bipolar disorder in particular and mental illness in general. Let’s start with meeting Michael Angelakos.
On January 21, 2015, Rolling Stone Magazine featured Angelakos in an article “Watch Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos Discuss Bipolar Disorder in PSA.”
If you are having trouble viewing the video, you can see it here.
Mr. Angelakos is adding his voice to a PSA campaign #StrongerThanStigma the ongoing efforts of the organizations Bring Change 2 Mind and Project 375.
Bring Change 2 Mind
Bring Change 2 Mind is a non-profit organization with a clear mission:
To end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness through widely distributed Public Education Materials based on the latest scientific insights and measured for effectiveness. To act as a portal to a broad coalition of organizations that provide service, screening, information, support and treatment of mental illness.
Project 375
Project 375 offers a colorful mission:
The way people think about mental health is CRAZY!
That’s why OUR MISSION is to Paint The World LIME GREEN.