“A MENTAL ILLNESS IS A CONDITION THAT IMPACTS A PERSON’S THINKING, FEELING OR MOOD, AND MAY AFFECT HIS OR HER ABILITY TO RELATE TO OTHERS AND FUNCTION ON A DAILY BASIS” (NAMI, N.D.).
In 2012, there were an estimated 43.7 million adults living with mental illness in the United States; this represents nearly 20% of the U.S. population (NIMH, n.d.). This number of 43.7 million people does not include those living with substance use disorder; when you include those living with substance use disorder, the previous number jumps to 54 million people. According to SAMHSA (2014), in the year 2013, 8.4 million of the 20.7 million adults living with substance use disorder also had a mental illness, this is known as co-occurring mental and substance use disorders.
BREAKDOWN:
• 1/3 of those with substance use disorder also have a mental illness.
• 1/5 of those with a mental illness also have a substance use disorder.
Mental illness diagnosis can range from anxiety, depression, bi-polar, to substance use disorder, to schizophrenia, personality disorders, etc. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness or substance use, you can visit the following links:
- www.samhsa.gov(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- www.nami.org(National Alliance on Mental Health)
- www.nimh.nih.gov(National Institute of Mental Health)
Or Call:
- 1-800-950-NAMI(National Alliance on Mental Illness)
- 1-800-600-6474(Region 4 Mental Health Hotline)
- (208) 433-0400(Raise the Bottom Training and Counseling)
References:
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Mental Health Conditions. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Any Mental Illness (AMI) Among Adults. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2, from ttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-mental-illness-ami-among-adults.shtml
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Mental and Substance Use Disorders. (October 2014). Retrieved July 2, 2015, from http://www.samhsa.gov/disorders
