General Mental Illness

1 in 4 of us live with mental illness
 

1 In 4 Americans live with mental illnessBrain and behavior disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older – about 1 in 4 adults – suffer from one or more of these disorders in a given year. Brain and behavior disorders are common among children in the United States and are increasingly being recognized and diagnosed at an early age. Just over 20 percent (or 1 in 5) children live with a debilitating mental illness.

Out of the 10 leading causes of disability identified and tracked in the United States and other developed countries; four are brain and behavior disorders: major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

It is estimated that:
- 18% of American adults will suffer from an anxiety disorder each year
- 10% of Americans adults will suffer from depression each year
- 4% of American adults will suffer from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) each year
- 4% of American adults will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder each year
- 3% of American adults will suffer from bipolar disorder each year
- 1% of American adults will suffer from schizophrenia each year
- 1% of American adults will suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) each year
 - 1 in every 88 8-year-old children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder

 

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

(*Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Center for Disease Control)

Melissa R. Warden, Ph.D., of Stanford University, expert on schizophrenia
Melissa R. Warden, Ph.D.
June 10, 2013

A team of neuroscientists, including NARSAD Young Investigator Grantee Melissa R. Warden, Ph.D., of Stanford University, devised new analytical methods to decode neuronal interactions in complex cognitive tasks. Their...

Know Science. No Stigma. Mental Health Awarness Month Social Media Awareness Drive by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Know Science. No Stigma.
May 02, 2013

May is Mental Health Awareness Month - a concentrated, national effort by mental health nonprofit organizations, including the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, to reach out to the public, media and supporters to...

Know Science. No Stigma. Mental Health Awarness Month Social Media Awareness Drive by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Know Science. No Stigma.
May 02, 2013
Visit the "Know Science. No Stigma." page to join the effort!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month - a concentrated, national effort by mental health nonprofit organizations, including the Brain & Behavior Research...

Daniela Kaufer, Ph.D., of University of California, Berkeley, an expert in anxiety
Daniela Kaufer, Ph.D.
April 19, 2013

Occasional stress may actually have a positive impact on the brain according to a new study by lead author Daniela Kaufer, Ph.D., a Brain & Behavior Research Foundation 2009 NARSAD Young Investigator Grantee, and...

J. John Mann, M.D. - Brain and behavior research expert on depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide
J. John Mann, M.D.
April 18, 2013

Roughly 36,000 Americans kill themselves every year. Is it possible to develop better ways to predict and avert suicide? J. John Mann, M.D., believes the answer is “yes.”  

Dr. Mann is a pioneer in the study of...

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