More than 8 million people in the US have mental health problems

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More than 8 million people in the US have mental health problems

 By Chelsea Whyte in the New Scientist

Americans are experiencing serious psychological distress in higher numbers than ever before. More than 8 million adults in the US between the ages 18 and 64 have mental health issues – that’s 3.4 per cent of the nation’s population.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has conducted an annual national health survey for the past 60 years. Respondents are asked how often over the past month they felt certain feelings, such as being so sad nothing could cheer them up, or that everything they did was an effort or worthless. The frequency of such feelings gives an indication of whether someone is in serious psychological distress (SPD).

An SPD score is highly correlated with mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. It’s also linked to chronic disease, lower socio-economic status, smoking, drinking and a reduced life span.

Judith Weissman, an epidemiologist at the NYU Langone Medical Center, studied the survey data from 200,000 respondents between 2006 to 2014. She found that SPD was more prevalent in women than in men, in middle-aged adults versus younger adults, and in Hispanic and black people versus white people.

Weissman also found that while SPD rates were going up, access to mental health care was declining.