Mental illnesses are still much more common than previously thought, judging by the results of a recently published new study .
Most of these people will never receive treatment, and their relationships, job performance, and life satisfaction will likely be undermined.
Mental disorders
Epidemiologists have long known that 20 to 25 percent of the population is mentally ill at any given time. These data are reached through surveys, also reminding them if they have suffered disorders in the past.
However, this new study , published earlier this year in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology , took a different approach to estimating the percentage of the disease . Rather than asking people to reminisce, a group of New Zealanders were followed from birth to middle age.
If you follow people for a long time and screen them regularly using simple evidence-based tools, the percentage of people who develop a diagnosable mental illness at any point in their life jumps to more than 80 percent .
In other words, the study suggests that you are more likely to experience mental illness than to develop diabetes, heart disease, or any type of cancer altogether.
However, most of these disorders are not long-lasting; This does not mean that we should not try to treat them. Three years ago, for example, Mental Health America launched a web-based tool to allow people to discreetly screen themselves for possible psychological disorders.
Since then, more than two million people have used the tool, and currently 3,000 people a day register to determine if they may have a condition that could benefit from treatment . However, the US Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends regular mental health screening for everyone 11 years of age and older.