Mental Illnesses

Brain 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 110 8-year-old children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder

(*Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH))