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To Your HealthNational Consumer Hotline NumbersChild and Adolescent Depression
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National Consumer Hotline Numbers
National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Hotline 800-662-HELP
National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233
National Child Abuse Hotline 800-4-A-CHILD
National Youth Crisis Hotline 800-HIT-HOME
National Adolescent Suicide Hotline 800-621-4000
Panic Disorder Information Line 800-64-PANIC
Project Information HIV/AIDS Treatment Hotline 800-822-7422
Key Facts and Statistics
More than 54 million Americans have a mental disorder in a given year, although only about 8 million seek treatment (Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, 1999). Depression and anxiety disorders - the two most common mental illnesses - each affect 19 million American adults annually (National Institute of Mental Health, 1999). Approximately 12 million women in the United States experience depression every year - roughly twoce the rate of men (National Institute of Mental Health, 1999). One in every five adults, or about 40 million Americans, experience some type of mental disorder every year (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration).
One percent of the population (more than 2.5 million Americans) has schizophrenia (Schizophrenia Bulletin, 1998). Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, affects more than 2 million Americans (National Institute of Mental Health, 2000). Each year, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa affect millions of Americans, 85-90 percent of whom are teens and young adult women (National Institute of Mental Health, 2000). Depression greatly increases the risk of developing heart disease. People with depression are four times more likely to have a heart attack than those with no history of depression (National Institute of Mental Health, 1998). Approximately 15 percent of all adults who have a mental illness in any given year also experience a co-occurring substance abuse disorder, which complicates treatment (Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, 1999). Up to one-half of all visits to primary care physicians are due to conditions that are caused or exacerbated by mental or emotional problems (Collaborative Family Healthcare Coalition, 1998).
One in five children have a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder. And up to one in 10 may suffer from a serious emotional disturbance. Seventy percent of children, however, do not receive mental health services (Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, 1999). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common mental disorders in children, affecting 3 to 5 percent of school-age children (National Institute of Mental Health, 1999). As many as one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents may have depression (Center for Mental Health Services, 1998). Teenage girls are more likely to develop depression than teenage boys (National Institute of Mental Health, 2000).
Children and teens who have a chronic illness, endure abuse or neglect, or experience other trauma have an increased risk of depression (National Institute of Mental Health, 2000). Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds and the sixth leading cause of death for 5- to 14-year-olds. The number of attempted suicides is even higher (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1997).
Studies have confirmed the short-term efficacy and safety of treatments for depression in youth (National Institute of Mental Health, 2000). Alcohol, marijuana, inhalants and club drugs are the most frequently used drugs among middle- and high-school youth (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2000).
Research has shown that use of club drugs such as Ecstasy and GHB can cause serious health problems and, in some cases, death. Used in combination with alcohol, these drugs pose even more danger (NIDA, 1999). Children and adolescents increasingly believe that regular alcohol and drug use is not dangerous (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2000).
Among middle- and high-school students, less than 20 percent of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 report using alcohol in the previous month, and less than 4 percent report drinking heavily in the previous month (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2000). Young people are beginning to drink at younger ages. This is troubling particularly because young people who begin drinking or using drugs before age 15 are four times more likely to become addicted than those who begin at age 21 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2000).
Children of alcohol- and drug-addicted parents are up to four times more likely to develop substance abuse and mental health problems (National Association of Children of Alcoholics, 1998). Twenty percent of youths in juvnile justice facilities have a serious emotional disturbance and most have a diagnosable mental disorder. Up to an additional 30 percent of youths in these facilities have substance abuse disorders or co-occurring substance abuse disorders (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2000).
Late-life depression affects about 6 million adults, but only 10 percent ever receive treatment (NMHA, 1998). Older Americans are more likely to commit suicide than any other age group. Although they constitute only 13 percent of the U.S. population, individuals age 65 and older account for 20 percent of all suicides (National Institute of Mental Health, 2000). At least 10 to 20 percent of widows and widowers develop clinically significant depression within one year of the death of their spouse (Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, 1999). Among adults age 55 and older, 11.4 percent meet the criteria for having an anxiety disorder (Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, 1999). Alcohol abuse and dependence is four times as prevalent among men over the age of 65 than women in the same age group (Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, 1999).
Depression ranks among the top three workplace problems, following only family crisis and stress (Employee Assistance Professional Association Survey, 1996). The combined indirect and related costs of mental illness, including costs of lost productivity, lost earnings due to illness, and societal costs, such as increased criminal justice and family care giving, are estimated to total $48 billion (National Advisory Mental Health Council, 1993). Clinical depression alone costs the U.S. $43.7 billion annually, including workplace costs for absenteeism and lost productivity ($23.8 billion), direct costs for treatment and rehabilitation ($12.4 billion), and loss of earnings due to depression-induced suicides ($7.5 billion) (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993). Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. $46.8 billion in 1990 in direct and indirect costs, nearly one-third of the nation's total mental health bill (National Institute of Mental Health, 1998). Over one-third of the total cost of schizophrenia - $65 billion - is borne by the private sector (Rice, D., 1996). The cost of alcohol and illicit drug use in the workplace, including lost productivity, medical claims, and accidents, amounts to $140 billion per year (National Drug Addiction Recovery Month Kit, 1998).
Up to half of all visits to primary physicians are due to conditions caused or exacerbated by mental or emotional problems (Collaborative Family Healthcare Coalition, 1998). People with depression are more than 4 times as likely to develop a heart attach than those without a history of the illness (National Institute of Mental Health, 1998). Almost 21 percent of hospital beds are filled by people with mental illness (SAMHSA, 1995). The treatment success rate for schizophrenia is 60%, 80%, for bipolar disorders, and 65% for major depression, whereas the treatment success rate for heart disease ranges from 41%-52% (SAMHSA, 1995). Roughly 37% of alcohol abusers and 53% of drug abusers also have at least one serious mental illness (AMA Journal, 1998). More than 41 million Americans lack health insurance, and many of them are unable to access the services they need from an overburdened and under-funded public mental health system (The Hay Group Study, 1997). The average annual growth of expenditures for treatment of mental health and abuse of alcohol and other drugs was 7.2 percent between 1986 and 1996, notably slower than the 8.3 percent average annual growth for national healthcare expenditures (U.S. Health and Human Services Department, 1996).
KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS
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Depression ChecklistEvery year more than 19 million Americans experience clinical depression. It affects men, women, and children of all races and socio-economic groups, causing them to lose motivation, energy and pleasure of everyday life. Clinical depression often goes untreated because people don't recognize its many symptoms. The good news is that almost everyone who gets treated can soon feel better.
Here is a checklist of ten symptoms of clinical depression:
A persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
Sleeping too little or sleeping too much
Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased appetite and weight gain
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
Restlessness or irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that don't respond to treatment (such as headaches, chronic pain, or constipation and other digestive disorders)
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feeling guilty, hopeless, or worthless
Thoughts of death or suicide
If you experience five or more of these symptoms for longer than two weeks or if the symptoms are severe enough to interfere with your daily routine, you should see your doctor or a qualified mental health professional.
Stress ChecklistEveryone handles stress differently, some better than others. If you think you have too much stress in your life, it may be helpful to talk with a doctor, member of the clergy, or other caring professional. Because reactions to stress can be a factor in depression, anxiety and other mental and emotional disorders, they may suggest that you consult with a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or other counselor.
Here is a checklist of negative reactions to stress:
Do minor problems and disappointments upset you excessively?
Do the small pleasures of life fail to satisfy you?
Are you unable to stop thinking of your worries?
Do you feel inadequate or suffer from self-doubt?
Are you constantly tired?
Do you experience flashes of anger over a minor problem?
Have you noticed a change in sleeping or eating patterns?
Do you suffer from chronic pain, headaches, or back aches?
If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, consider the following suggestions for reducing or controlling stress:
Be realistic. If you sell overwhelmed by some activities, learn to say NO!
Shed the "superman/woman" urge. No one is perfect, so don't expect perfection from yourself and others.
Meditate for ten to twenty minutes.
Visualize how you can manage a stressful situation more successfully.
Take one thing at a time. Prioritize your tasks and tackle each one separately.
Take on a hobby that will give you a break from your worries.
Live a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, adequate rest, regular exercise, limited caffeine and alcohol, and balanced work and play.
Share your feelings with family and friends. Don't try to cope alone.
Give in occasionally. Be flexible.
Go easy with criticism. You may be expecting too much.
Child and Adolescent DepressionSigns of Depression:
Persistent sadness
Withdrawl from family, friends and activities that were once enjoyed
Incresed irritability or agitation
Changes in eating and sleeping habits (e.g., significant weight loss, insomnia, excessive sleep)
Frequent physical complaints, such as headaches and stomachaches
Lack of enthusiam or motivation
Decreased energy level and chronic fatigue
Play that involves excessive aggression toward self or others, or that involves persistently sad themes
Indecision, lask of concentration orforgetfulness
Feelings of worthlesness or excessive guilt
Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
What can parents and other adults do if they suspect a child may have depression?
Know the warning signs for depression, and note the duration, frequency and severity of troubling behavior.
Get accurate information from libraries, hotlines, the Web and other sources.
Take the child to see a mental health professional or doctor for evaluation and diagnosis if he or she is exhibiting several of the warning signs. The evaluation may include psychological testing, laboratory tests and consultation with other specialists.
Ask questions about treatments and services. A comprehensive treatment plan may include psychotherapy, ongoing evaluation and, in some cases, medication. Optimally, the treatment plan is developed with the family, and whenever possible, the child.
Talk to other families in your community or find a family network organization.
Mental Health Council of Arkansas | 1400 West Markham, Suite 330 | Little Rock, AR 72201 | Phone: (501) 372-7062 Fax: (501) 372-8039
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