Facts About Mental Illness

1 in 4 adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness each year
1 in 17 American adults lives with serious mental illness
2.6 million Americans live with schizophrenia
6.1 million Americans live with bipolar disorder
14.8 million Americans live with major depression
42 million Americans live with anxiety disorders such as OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and phobias
Nearly 9.2 million adults have co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders
26% of homeless adults in shelters live with serious mental illness
20% of state prisoners and 21% of county prisoners have a recent history of mental health conditions
70% of youth in juvenile justice systems have at least one mental health condition and approximately 20% have severe mental illness
20% of youth 13 to 18 years of age have severe mental disorders
13% of youth 8 to 15 years of age have severe mental disorders
60% of adults and nearly 50% of youth with mental illness received no mental health services during the previous year
African Americans and Latinos use mental health services at about half the rate of whites
50% of all chronic mental illness begins by age 14; 75% by age 24

Mental Illness Facts