The Ripple Effect of Mental Illness — Statistics on Mental Health from the National Alliance on Mental Illness
PERSON
- People with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population. People with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions.
- 19.3% of U.S. adults with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2018 (9.2 million individuals)
- The rate of unemployment is higher among U.S. adults who have mental illness (5.8%) compared to those who do not (3.6%)
- High school students with significant symptoms of depression are more than twice as likely to drop out compared to their peers
FAMILY
- At least 8.4 million people in the U.S. provide care to an adult with a mental or emotional health issue
- Caregivers of adults with mental or emotional health issues spend an average of 32 hours per week providing unpaid care
COMMUNITY
- Mental illness and substance use disorders are involved in 1 out of every 8 emergency department visits by a U.S. adult (estimated 12 million visits)
- Mood disorders are the most common cause of hospitalization for all people in the U.S. under age 45 (after excluding hospitalization relating to pregnancy and birth)
- Across the U.S. economy, serious mental illness causes $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year
- 20.1% of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. have a serious mental health condition
- 37% of adults incarcerated in the state and federal prison system have a diagnosed mental illness
- 70.4% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosed mental illness
- 41% of Veteran’s Health Administration patients have a diagnosed mental illness or substance use disorder
WORLD
- Depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity each year
- Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide