Common Mental Health Disorders.
Mental disorders are more common than we believe them to be. Statistics from the United States and internationally estimate that 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people. This is about one in every four adults of the population, a staggering 25 %, believe it or not.
The good news is that even though mental disorders are widespread in the general population, the main burden of severe illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion than the 25 % stated above. About 6 percent, or 1 in 17, persons suffer from a serious mental illness.
More detailed statistics show that mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity.
In the U.S., mental disorders are diagnosed based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). Diagnosis and treatment in Australia is less defined & less refined because many remote communities do not have adequate diagnostic facilities.
Mood disorders include (Four Subcategories)
21 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population aged 18 and older in a given year, have a mood disorder. Median age: 29 years. Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.
- Major depressive disorders
- Dysthymic Disorders
- Bipolar Disorders and
- Suicides
1. Major Depressive Disorders is the major cause of disability for ages 15 to 44. I do not have figures for Australia but it affects approximately 14.8 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population adult population. Median age is 32 years. More prevalent in women than men. Reason ?
2. Dysthymic disorders (sometimes called Chronic mild depression) must persist for at least two years in adults (one year in children) to meet criteria for the diagnosis. Dysthymic disorder affects approximately 1.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. This figure translates to about 3.3 million American adults. The median age of onset of dysthymic disorder is 31 years.
3. Bipolar disorders affects about 6.0 million US adults i.e 2.6 % of the population which is 18 years or older. Median age is 25 years.
4. Suicides In 2002, 31,655 (approximately 11 persons per 100,000) people died by suicide in the U.S.
Figure 1 (below). Australia’s suicide rates by age and sex. (1993, 2003).
Figure 2 (below). Male and Female suicide rates from 1993 to 2003.
Suicides have devastating impacts upon surviving members. Copy suicides and suicide pacts are common amongst adolescents. In the hospital setting a patient who has passed the crises state is most likely to be able to commit suicide because he/she now has more energy and planning ability. The Nurse and Doctor of this patient need to be more vigilant than when this patient was severely depressed.
Many suicide prevention programs are in place in Australia. In an Emergency call 000 to get immediate help.
Top End Mental Health Services : 89994988 ( Emergency Assessment Service).
Figure 3 (below). Suicide rates of the States and territories of Australia
Schizophrenia: Affects 1 % of the population (2 million individuals) US.
Main definition: Loss of contact with reality. Note the difference between a neurotic and psychotic disorder. The important distinction is that a neurotic person knows that he is ill whereas a psychotic person does not believe he/she is ill. He/she believe that his voices / perceptions are real. The individual can lose much of his / her ability to rationally evaluate his surroundings and interactions with others.
Schizophrenic patients display a range of unusual behaviours which cause profound disruption in the lives of the patients suffering from the condition and in the lives of the people around then. Affects both males and females equally, all races and all social classes in all cultures.
Schizophrenia often first appears in men in their late teens or early twenties. In contrast, women are generally affected in their twenties or early thirties. Hallucinations and delusions are common; these distort the perceptions of reality for the schizophrenic patient. The visible behaviours may seem bizarre to the casual observer but are real to the patient. Nearly one-third of those diagnosed with schizophrenia will attempt suicide. About 10 percent of those with the diagnosis will commit suicide within 20 years of the beginning of the disorder.
Patients with schizophrenia are not likely to share their suicidal intentions with others, making life-saving interventions more difficult. The risk of depression needs special mention due to the high rate of suicide in these patients. The most significant risk of suicide in schizophrenia is among males under 30 who have some symptoms of depression and a relatively recent hospital discharge.
These summary notes must be used in conjunction with university class lectures and are not to be used for diagnostic / treatment purposes. Diagnosis and treatment must be done by duly trained and qualified Doctors. The author of these notes is Nurse and NOT a doctor.
