Mental Illness Hit 1 in 5 U.S. Adults in Past Year

A new survey finds that 20 percent of U.S. adults over 45 million people experienced mental illness in the past year. Overall, 4.8 percent suffered serious mental illness, 8.4 million people had serious thoughts of suicide, 2.2 million made suicide plans, and one million attempted suicide, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Nearly 20 percent of adults with mental illness in the past year also had a substance abuse disorder, the report found. The rate was 25.7 percent for those with a serious mental illness about four times higher than the rate of 6.5 percent among people without a serious mental illness,

The survey, which included 67,500 adults nationwide, was released Thursday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Among its other findings:

* Mental illness is more common among jobless people (27.7 percent) than among those with full-time jobs (17.1 percent).

* Women are more likely than men to experience mental illness 23.8 percent vs. 15.6 percent.

* Young adults had the highest rate of mental woes (30 percent) while those aged 50 and older had the lowest rate (13.7 percent).

* Overall, only 37.9 percent of adults with mental illness received mental health services.

* While the use of mental health services was highest among those with serious mental illness (60.2 percent), 4.4 million adults with serious mental illness in the past year did not receive the services they needed.

"Too many Americans are not getting the help they need and opportunities to prevent and intervene early are being missed," SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in an agency news release. "The consequences for individuals, families and communities can be devastating. If left untreated mental illnesses can result in disability, substance abuse, suicides, lost productivity, and family discord. Through health care reform and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act we can help far more people get needed treatment for behavioral health problems," she said.

You have read this article Abuse / Drug / mental illness / Suicide with the title mental illness. You can bookmark this page URL http://aganaktismenoi-volos.blogspot.com/2010/11/mental-illness-hit-1-in-5-us-adults-in.html. Thanks!

Substance Abuse Admissions Double Among Older Adults

The number of people aged 50 and older admitted for substance abuse treatment in the United States has more than doubled since the early 1990s, says a federal government study released Thursday. Admissions for people in this age group increased from 102,700 in 1992 to 231,200 in 2008, and whites accounted for the majority of admissions in both 1992 and 2008, said the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) study. The proportion of blacks admitted for treatment increased from 19.9 percent to 28.8 percent, while the proportion of Hispanics increased from 9.8 percent to 11.3 percent, the researchers found. The proportion of women admitted for treatment increased from 18.1 percent (18,391) to 25.1 percent.

The researchers also identified some significant changes in the sociodemographic characteristics of older admissions. Unemployment in this group rose from 19.4 percent in 1992 to 31 percent in 2008, full-time employment decreased from 23.4 percent to 16.7 percent, wages/salary as a principal source of income declined from 32.3 percent to 24.4 percent, and the proportion with no principal source of income rose from 11 percent to 28.8 percent. "This rise in substance abuse treatment among older adults and the changes in the socioeconomic situations of this treatment group reflect the changing landscape over the past 17 years and highlights the importance of providing additional specialized treatment services and social supports to address these needs," SAMHSA administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in an agency news release.

"To truly battle substance abuse and lower substance abuse levels on all fronts requires a combined effort from the federal government, states and local communities. And people of all ages need to be aware that there is help available to them so that they can take action before a substance abuse problem becomes a devastating addiction," she added. The study also noted changing trends in marital status and the types of living arrangements among older adults admitted for substance abuse treatment. The proportion of those who said they'd never married increased from 13.2 percent in 1992 to 30.2 percent in 2008, those who were currently married decreased from 33.3 percent to 21.5 percent, and those who were divorced/widowed declined from 43.9 percent to 21.5 percent. Homelessness in this group of people increased from 15.9 percent to 19.5 percent, while the proportion of those living independently decreased from 72.4 percent to 67.1 percent.

You have read this article marital status / mental illness / SAMHSA / socioeconomic / Substance abuse / Widow with the title mental illness. You can bookmark this page URL http://aganaktismenoi-volos.blogspot.com/2010/09/substance-abuse-admissions-double-among.html. Thanks!

College Campuses See Rise in Cases of Severe Mental Illness

More cases of severe mental illness are being reported among college students than a decade ago, as more young people with mental health issues tackle a post secondary education and are open to getting help when they need it, a new U.S. study shows. The use of prescription medications by students to treat psychiatric illness has also risen significantly over the past decade, the research team noted. "If we look at the average college student and their level of psychological and emotional functioning and distress, on the whole they are not necessarily worse off than they were 10 years ago," explained study author John C. Guthman, director of student counseling at Hofstra University's division of student affairs.

"However, there are some students who are outliers and they have some difficulty in some areas. And these relatively few students that present in significant distress seem to have increased to a greater percentage than they were a decade ago." Guthman and his colleagues are to report their findings Thursday at the American Psychological Association annual meeting, in San Diego. The authors noted that their observations appear to be in line with what mental health professionals have observed and reported anecdotally in recent years.

To get a handle on the current state of affairs, Guthman and his team analyzed diagnostic records concerning nearly 3,300 undergraduate and graduate students who had sought college counseling at some point in the 10 years between 1997 and 2009. After examining intake information concerning mental disorders, suicidal tendencies and behavioral reports, the team determined that over the years most students had been diagnosed with mood and anxiety disorders and that, on average, the nature of these cases had remained relatively mild over time.

You have read this article distress / mental disorders / mental illness / psychiatric illness with the title mental illness. You can bookmark this page URL http://aganaktismenoi-volos.blogspot.com/2010/08/college-campuses-see-rise-in-cases-of.html. Thanks!