Prevalence and Incidence of Mental illness

About prevalence and incidence statistics: The term 'prevalence' of Mental illness usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Mental illness at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Mental illness refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Mental illness diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.

Incidence (annual) of Mental illness: about 22.1 percent of American adults annually or 44.3 million people (NIMH)
Incidence Rate: approx 1 in 4 or 22.10% or 60.1 million people in USA [about data]

Prevelance of Mental illness discussion: Mental 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 mental 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 mental disorders-major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.¹

Incidence statistics about Mental illness: The following statistics relate to the incidence of Mental illness:

22.1% of adults over 18 in the US (National Institute of Mental Health, NIH)
44.3 million adults over 18 in the US 1998 (National Institute of Mental Health, NIH)
3% of noninstitutionalised adults had severe psychological distress in the past 30 days in the US 2002 (National Health Interview Survey, 2003, NCHS, CDC)

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from The Numbers Count: NIMH

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