LifeWise Counseling and Wellness, LLC

LifeWise will be closed from May 1st to May 7th, 2024.

Mental Health Statistics

Per the organization, Mental Health America, the following are mental health statistics.

• Number of US Adults with Mental Illness: 50 million [Source]
• Percent of US Adults with Mental Illness: 19.86% [Source]
• Anxiety
• Lifetime prevalence of any Anxiety Disorder: 31.6% [Source]
• Number of US Adults with Anxiety Disorders: 42.5 million [Source]
• Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental illnesses in America
• Addiction/Substance Use Disorder
• Percent of US Adults with a Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year: 7.74% [Source]
• Number of US Adults with a Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year: 19 million [Source]
• Percent of Youth with a Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year: 4.08% [Source]
• Number of Youth with a Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year: 1 million [Source]
• Bipolar Disorder
• Past year prevalence of Bipolar Disorder: 1.8% [Source]
• Number of US Adults with Bipolar Disorder: 3.3 million [Source]
• An estimated 2.5% of US adults experience bipolar disorder at some time in their lives. [Source]
• Depression
• Percent of US Adults with Major Depression: 8.4% [Source]
• Number of US Adults with Depression: 21 million [Source] 
• Percent of Youth (aged 12-17) with Major Depression: 15.1% [Source]
• Number of Youth (aged 12-17) with Major Depression: 3.7 million [Source]
• Percent of Youth with Severe Depression: 10.6% [Source]
• Number of Youth with Severe Depression: 2.5 million [Source]
• Major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses. [Source]
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Percent of People (ages 13+) in US with PTSD (Lifetime prevalence): 5.7% [Source]
• Percent of People (ages 13+) in US with PTSD (One year prevalence): 3.7% [Source]
• Number of US Adults with PTSD: 12 million [Source]
• Schizophrenia
• Percent of US Adults with Schizophrenia: <1% [Source]
• Number of US Adults with Schizophrenia: ~1.5 million [Source]
• Suicidal Thoughts
• Percent of US Adults with Suicidal Thoughts: 4.58% [Source]
• Number of US Adults with Suicidal Thoughts: 11.4 million [Source]
• *Only a few conditions or topics are represented here.

Monthly Mental Health Awareness Observations:

• National Mental Health Awareness Month
• Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month

Maternal Mental Health

Everyone has Mental Health

Every individual has mental health, which includes stress, difficult feelings, grief, and possibly a mental health disorder, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, just to name a few. In trying to manage a healthy mental health state, some people may resort to unhealthy coping, such as using alcohol, drugs, food, exercise, or spending too much time online, which can lead to addictions, disordered eating, and other disorders.

Many in the psychiatric and counseling communities see the mental health crisis that has been unfolding in the United States over the last few years. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 1/3 of Americans are reporting that they are not able to get the mental health care they need. 80% of the third reports that the cost of mental health services as the reason for not being able to obtain care. Of the 1/3, 60% of them reporting that stigma and shame were also a reason for not obtaining mental health care services. On the other end of the spectrum, 60% of mental health care professionals reported that their caseloads are full, so they do not have any openings for new patients.

Many individuals don’t have access to health insurance that covers mental health care services, or can afford the exuberant costs of mental health care services out of pocket. In addition, there are few programs for the underserved to assist with their mental health care, not to mention the stigma that often surrounds some communities when someone is suffering with their mental health. There’s also a lack of support within the communities for those who struggle with mental health challenges.

The effects of untreated mental health disorders lead to higher crime rates and domestic violence. We are seeing more road rage incidents that involve violence. We are seeing suicide rates escalate with reports of younger and younger children completing suicide.

If we don’t find a way to manage this crisis, we will continue to see an escalation in issues with very dire outcomes.