Tuesday, 06 September 2011 21:51

Unless you or someone in your family has struggled with a mental health issue, it is tempting to think that "those problems" only affect others.  Well, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control estimates that approximately half of all American adults will suffer some kind of mental illness at some point during their lifetime.  (In any single year, approximately 5% experience mental illness.)  As a result of this finding, the authors of the report stress the need for better surveillance in order to improve treatment and prevention.

Commenting on the report, Pamela S. Hyde, the director of the federal government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), commented:

"This new CDC study combined with SAMHSA's latest surveillance data provides a powerful picture of the impact of mental illness on public health. People with mental disorders should seek help with the same urgency as any other health condition.  Treatment and support services are effective and people do recover."