Resources – Facts & Figures
Mental Disorders in America (1)
| Disorder | % of U.S. pop. | (2) Affected Americans | Notes |
| All mental disorders | 26.2% | 57.7 million | Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44. |
| ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) |
5% to 10% | Children 9 to 17 |
Estimates vary widely. |
| Alzheimer's Disease | 3.8% | 4.5 million | Most common cause of dementia in people age 65 and over |
| Anxiety disorders (3) | 18.1% | 40 million | Frequently co-occur with depressive disorders or substance abuse |
| Panic Disorder | 2.7% | 6 million | - |
| Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder | 1.0% | 2.2 million | Men and women equally likely to develop |
| Post-traumatic Stress Disorder | 3.5% | 7.7 million | - |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder | 3.1% | 6.8 million | - |
| Specific Phobia | 8.7% | 19.2 million | - |
| Autism | 34% | 3.4 cases per thousand children 3-10 | - |
| Mood Disorders (4) | 9.5% | 20.9 million | - |
| Major Depressive Disorder | 6.7% | 14.8 million | Leading cause of disability in America |
| Bipolar Disorder | 2.6% | 5.7 million | Men and women equally likely to develop |
Eating Disorders
| Anorexia Nervosa | 0.5 to 3.7% | - | % of women affected sometime in lifetime |
| Bulimia Nervosa | 1.1 to 4.2% | - | % of women affected sometime in lifetime |
| Binge Eating | 2 to 5% | - | % of adults affected in a six-month period |
| Schizophrenia | 1.1% | 2.4 million | Men and women equally affected |
| Suicide | - | 31,655 (2002) | More than 90% had a diagnosable mental disorder, most commonly substance abuse or a depressive disorder |
1. Source: National Institute of Mental Health Web site www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/numbers.cfm#Dysthymic
2. American adults age 18 and older unless otherwise indicated
3. Panic, obsessive-compulsive, post-traumatic stress, generalized anxiety and phobias
4. Major depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymic disorder (chronic, mild depression persisting 4. two years in adults, one year in children)
This information is presented for your convenience only. No endorsement or recommendation or warranty of any kind is intended or implied. Sunshine from Darkness assumes no responsibility for any outcome associated with the use of this information.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Office of Communications 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663 Bethesda, MD 20892-9663 Phone: 301-443-4513 or 1-866-615-NIMH (6464), toll-free TTY: 301-443-8431; FAX: 301-443-4279
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