
With appropriate effective medication and a wide range of services tailored to their needs, most people who live with serious mental illnesses can significantly reduce the impact of their conditions and find a satisfying measure of achievement and independence. The best treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have a significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports. The economic cost of untreated mental illness is more than 100 billion dollars each year in the United States. Untreated mental health conditions can result in unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, and suicide, and poor quality of life. Without treatment, the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering. All ages are susceptible, but the young and the old are especially vulnerable. Mental illness usually strike individuals in the prime of their lives, often during adolescence and young adulthood. By 2020, Major Depressive illness will be the leading cause of disability in the world for women and children. The World Health Organization has reported that 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed countries are mental disorders. Surgeon General reports that 10 percent of children and adolescents in the United States suffer from serious emotional and mental disorders that cause significant functional impairment in their day-to-day lives at home, in school, and with peers. The availability of transportation, diet, exercise, sleep, friends and meaningful paid or volunteer activities contribute to overall health and wellness, including mental illness recovery.įind out more in our directory of mental health conditions. In addition to medication treatment, psychosocial treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, peer support groups and other community services can also be components of a treatment plan and that assist with recovery. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan. Mental health conditions cannot be overcome through will power and are not related to a person’s character or intelligence, but they are treatable.

Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income. The good news about mental health conditions is that recovery is possible. Serious mental health conditions include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and borderline personality disorder. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning.
