The state of your mental health has a strong influence on other areas of your life.

Amanda Kruger, a licensed professional counselor in private practice in Denver who specializes in burnout, says that depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health concerns are on the rise in the United States. She cites a range of contributing factors, such as:

  • Constant access to news
  • Social media
  • Lack of social and societal support around getting basic needs met, including food, shelter, and schooling
  • Inflation and poor working wages
  • General difficulty recovering from the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Barriers to mental health care, like lack of insurance, stigma, and shortage of trained therapists

Obtaining an official condition diagnosis can take time. The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Not everyone has adequate access to mental health care. NAMI estimates that approximately 3 in 5 incarcerated people with a history of mental illness do not receive treatment while imprisoned. People who live in rural areas must travel twice as far to their nearest hospital to get treatment compared with people in urban settings.

The growth of online therapy can help increase mental health care availability for some people, but you still need internet access, which not everyone has.

Bipolar Disorder Statistics

Once called manic depression, bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that causes wide-ranging changes in a person’s mood, energy level, and concentration, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). This condition affects approximately 2.8 million adults in the United States.

Bipolar disorder manifests in extreme highs, called manic episodes, and severe lows. During manic episodes, the person may feel very energetic and not sleep for long periods. During lows, they may feel hopeless and incredibly depressed.

The three types of bipolar disorder are bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder:

  • Bipolar I manifests with severe manic episodes lasting at least one week or requiring immediate medical care. Depressive symptoms may present for up to two weeks. Four or more episodes of mania or depression within one year are called “rapid cycling.”
  • Bipolar II symptoms include depressive and manic episodes, but they are less severe than the manic episodes in bipolar I disorder.
  • Cyclothymic disorder is a less severe type of bipolar disorder. People with cyclothymic disorder have recurring symptoms that are not intense or long enough to qualify as manic or depressive episodes.

Although bipolar disorder may present during the teen years, the age of onset is approximately 25, according to NAMI. This condition affects men and women equally. Genetics plays a role in developing bipolar disorder: If a child has a parent with the condition, their risk increases.

Schizophrenia Statistics

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that can cause people to lose their connection to reality, according to the NIMH. Fewer than 1 percent of the U.S. population, or about 2.8 million people, have schizophrenia, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

A wide age range for diagnosis is between 16 and 30. Symptoms tend to affect men earlier in life than women. The risk of a schizophrenia diagnosis is higher in people who have a close relative with the condition, according to an article published in September 2017 in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin.

Symptoms of schizophrenia are severe, wide-ranging, and often disruptive to daily life, according to the NIMH. There are three classes of symptoms: psychotic, social and personal, and cognitive.

Psychotic symptoms include:

  • Hallucinations, like hearing voices or smelling things that aren’t there
  • Delusions, which are beliefs that seem irrational to others, such as thinking people are communicating with them through the radio or television.
  • Thought disorder, which occurs when people have difficulty arranging thoughts in a way that makes sense to others
  • Movement disorder, which manifests in moving one’s body or limbs unusually or repetitively

Negative social and personal symptoms include:

  • Withdrawal from activities
  • Difficulty experiencing pleasure from life
  • Talking in a nonexpressive voice and tone
  • Having low energy (an extreme example is catatonia, where the person’s limbs become rigid)

Cognitive symptoms include:

  • Difficulty processing information, which affects decision-making
  • Difficulty paying attention
  • Difficulty using new information

Anxiety Statistics

Anxiety is a mental health condition characterized by a sudden feeling of dread or extreme worry. Anxiety affects approximately 40 million adults in the United States, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Factors that influence anxiety include genetics, brain chemistry, life events, and personality. Various types of anxiety affect people differently. Examples include the following:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is excessive worry about events and activities that occurs frequently and for at least six months, according to the NIMH. The ADAA has found that GAD affects 6.1 million U.S. adults and affects women more than men.
  • Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a persistent fear of social situations because people fear they will embarrass themselves, according to the NIMH. According to the ADAA, SAD affects 7.1 million people.
  • Panic disorder is sudden, out-of-the-blue panic attacks. This condition affects 6 million adults, although it can occur in children. It affects women more than men, according to the ADAA.
  • Specific phobias are extreme fears of objects or situations that pose little to no real harm. Approximately 19.3 million U.S. adults have a phobia, and they tend to start at age 7, according to the ADAA. Women are twice as likely to have a phobia than men.

Anxiety and depression often occur together, according to an article published in May 2020 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The article cited earlier life adversity, such as trauma or neglect, parenting style, and current stress exposure, as potential non-genetic causes of the two conditions occurring simultaneously.

Depression Statistics

Depression is a mental health condition beyond occasional or circumstantial sadness, like mourning the loss of a loved one, according to the CDC. It’s a low mood that persists and, if severe, can affect your ability to perform daily tasks.

According to data from a 2019 CDC National Health Interview Survey, the percentage of adults who experience symptoms of depression is highest among young adults. Specific percentages by age group are as follows:

  • Ages 18 to 29: 21.0 percent
  • Ages 30 to 44: 16.8 percent
  • Ages 45 to 64: 18.4 percent
  • Ages 65 and older: 18.4 percent

Forms of Depression

Depression manifests in various forms.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is an overwhelming sadness or a loss of interest and pleasure in most activities. According to the ADAA, MDD is characterized by having at least five of nine symptoms. One symptom must be either overwhelming sadness or a loss of interest or pleasure in most activities. The remaining seven symptoms include:

  • Appetite changes (increase or decrease in hunger)
  • Insomnia or hypersomnia
  • Slow thinking or moving
  • Constant fatigue
  • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
  • Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
  • Recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal ideation with or without specific plans for committing suicide

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) occurs during the change of seasons, typically during the shift from fall to winter. During these times, people experience symptoms of depression that dissipate when the season changes again, according to the NIMH.

Perinatal depression begins during pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, people may experience emotional lows, sadness, crying, and appetite changes. Perinatal pregnancy affects 1 in 7 women. Tell your healthcare provider if you think you experience depression during pregnancy.

Postpartum depression (PPD) occurs one to three weeks after the baby is born. People with PPD experience symptoms like extreme sadness, little interest in activities that previously brought them joy, and difficulty bonding with their baby, according to the March of Dimes. If you start showing signs of PPD, contact your healthcare provider right away.

Suicide Statistics

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. The CDC states that approximately 48,000 people died by suicide in 2021. That’s one death every 11 minutes.

Suicide was the second leading cause of death among children and teens ages 10 to 14 and adults ages 25 to 34 in 2020, according to the CDC.

Suicide can run in families. Family members who have experienced a first relative or spousal death from suicide are 2.58 times more likely to die by suicide themselves, according to an article published in October 2022 in Frontiers of Psychiatry. The article also noted genetic and familial factors, such as generational violence, linked to suicidal thinking and behavior.

Suicide Warning Signs for Adults

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shares the following suicide warning signs for adults:

  • Talking about suicide
  • Agitated behavior
  • Behaving recklessly
  • Talking about being a burden
  • Increased use of alcohol or drugs
  • Sleep changes (too little or too much)
  • Withdrawing from others
  • Rage
  • Extreme mood swings

Suicide Warning Signs for Children and Teens

The SAMHSA also shares the following suicide warning signs for adults and teens:

  • Talking about or making plans for suicide
  • Expressing hopelessness about the future
  • Severe emotional pain
  • Withdrawal from friends
  • Sleep changes (too little or too much)
  • Anger that seems out of character or out of context
  • Increased agitation or irritability

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use its web chat feature. Help is available 24/7. American Sign Language users can use the 988 Videophone. Veterans with hearing loss can text a Veterans Crisis Line responder at 838255. These conversations are free and confidential. In life-threatening situations, call 911.