High Rates of Mental Illnesses in the U.S.

Statistics show that there are high rates of mental illnesses in the United States, and this is alarming. Specialists are also concerned about the inefficiency of mental health care services. According to a new report, over fifty percent of the American patients do not receive proper treatment for their mental conditions.

A non-profit organization is in charge of periodic reports on the evolution of mental conditions with Americans. The organization is called Mental Health America (MHA), and their latest report shows alarmingly high rates of mental illnesses among the residents of the United States. The survey shows that twenty percent of the population is currently suffering from such a condition.

The recent survey from Mental Health America is the third of its kind this year. The percentage of twenty translates as no less than forty million patients across the Unites States. Moreover, approximately twenty million of them are not adequately treated either by the lack of access to medical care or by the lack of funding.

One of the most common mental illnesses is depression. The rates of the disease are high among teenagers as well. Statistics show that six out of ten young people suffer from depression in the United States. This is a significant increase, as previous reports show it too. Five years ago, 8.5 percent of our teenagers were diagnosed with depression, as opposed to the eleven percent which was reported two years ago, back in 2014.

People suffering from mild or severe forms of depression are not getting specialized medical treatment, either.

Specialists explain that mental illnesses can affect patients in such a way that they can no longer complete everyday tasks on their own. This is why many of them are secluded to prisons and do not receive special treatment. The new survey accounts for no less than 1.2 million such cases.

One of the conclusions of the recent report is that the lack of specialists is also one of the reasons why so many patients are not getting medical treatment. The survey estimates that one specialist is assigned no less than one thousand cases, which is clearly too much. As a result, more psychologists psychiatrists, nurses and social workers are needed.

The third report from MHD also made a top of the American states which best treat their mentally ill patients. Connecticut is top of the list for medical care services, as opposed to Nevada, which scored the lowest percentage.

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