Global Statistics on Mental Health

Global Statistics on Depression, Anxiety Disorder, Panic Attacks and Eating Disorders

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

I have gathered some source links about Global Statistics in order to show the other sufferers of these illnesses – you are not alone! These mental illnesses are very common!

Depression Statistics

• World Health Organization
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725202240.htm
• http://depressionhelpspot.com/depression_statistics.html
• http://www.depressionperception.com/depression/depression_facts_and_statistics.asp

Anxiety Disorder Statistics:

• http://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
• http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-statistics-information.shtml
• http://www.squidoo.com/Anxiety-Disorders-notalone

“In 2002, statistics provided by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America reported that 19.1 million, or 13.3%, of adults ages 18-54 were affected with a form of anxiety disorder. In 2006, updated statistics provided by the National Institute of Mental Health revealed a startling rise. The prevalence of adults ages 18 and over with anxiety disorder was reported at 40 million, or 18.1% of the population! Here’s a recap of the statistics measuring the most prevalent anxiety disorders:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) – 6.8 million (3.1%)
Panic disorder – 6 million (2.7%)
Agoraphobia – 1.8 million (0.8%)
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) – 15 million (6.8%)
Specific phobia – 19.2 million (8.7%)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD) – 2.2 million (1%);
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – 7.7 million (3.5%)

Those are the statistics for the U.S., now let’s go worldwide!

The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations public health arm that monitors disease outbreaks and assesses the performance of health systems around the globe, conducted a survey including 14 countries and published results in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2004. Anxiety disorders were reported as the most common disorders in 13 countries out of the 14. (For those of you who like detail, the countries included the U.S., Mexico, Columbia, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine, Lebanon, Nigeria, Japan, and People’s Republic of China. Ukraine was the only country where anxiety disorders didn’t rank as #1.)

Given these statistics and the increasing trends they suggest, chances are some of your friends, relatives, neighbors, and colleagues are touched by anxiety issues just like you. It’s funny, when you start to admit your experiences with anxiety, you’ll be surprised how many start to feel comfortable to open up to you about their own.”

Source: http://www.squidoo.com/Anxiety-Disorders-notalone

Author:

Judy Magness

United States

• The World Health Organization has published a very good resource on mental health “Mental Health Atlas 2011″- it can be downloaded here.