Mental Health Disorders

Mental health (MH) disorders today are appropriately called "brain disorders." Typical disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and even borderline personality disorder are medical disorders of the brain. Links to genetics are being found in addition to environmental factors.

These kinds of disorders are still widely misunderstood by most of society and as a result, many people with mental health disorders continue to be stigmatized.

These disorders "...are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older—about 1 in 5 adults—suffer from a diagnosable.." MH disorder "...in a given year. When applied to the 1998 U.S. Census residential population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people. In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are .." MH disorders "-major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people suffer from more than one...disorder at a given time." NIMH

"Individuals with co-occurring disorders (about 3 percent of the population in 1 year) are more likely to experience a chronic course and to utilize services than are those with either type of disorder alone. Clinicians, program developers, and policy makers need to be aware of these high rates of comorbidity—about 15 percent of those with a" MH"... disorder in 1 year (Regier et al., 1993a; Kessler et al., 1996)." Report of the Surgeon General