What are the most common mental health conditions?
If you’ve been struggling with mental health challenges, know that you’re not alone- mental health conditions are very common, impacting about one in five Americans every year. Dr. Holly Betterly MD, Psychiatrist in Weston, FL, summarizes key epidemiological data surrounding the most common psychiatric diagnoses in the United States.
This post is provided for educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have questions, always reach out to your doctor for more information.
Struggling with your mental health? Reach out for professional support. Dr. Betterly is a board-certified psychiatrist in Weston, FL dedicated to helping you overcome depression, anxiety, and OCD. She offers appointments at her office in Weston, FL, conveniently located in Weston Town Center, as well as via telehealth for patients across Florida. Request an appointment today to start your journey to better mental health.
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An Overview of Mental Health Conditions
Mental health conditions impact millions of Americans every year. There are many different psychiatric disorders, each with its own unique set of symptoms. Some examples of common psychiatric disorders include Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, defines the diagnostic criteria for each specific psychiatric disorder. You can think of these diagnostic criteria as a list of the symptoms that are typically seen in those who are experiencing the specific psychiatric disorder in question. These criteria are used by mental health professionals to identify which psychiatric disorder is causing a patient’s symptoms.
Mental health conditions can cause significant distress, limiting our ability to function in our daily lives. Those who are experiencing mental health problems may notice that their symptoms are impacting their performance at work, school, or in the home, or interfering with their interpersonal relationships.
If you have concerns about your mental health, it’s important to know that you don’t need to struggle in silence- effective treatment options are available. To learn more, reach out to a psychiatrist near you. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. They can help you to figure out why you are feeling this way, and provide education about available treatment options.
Curious about which mental health conditions are most common? To answer this question, let’s take a look at the existing epidemiological data. The National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provide a wealth of information about mental health conditions across the United States.
National Comorbidity Survey
The National Comorbidity Survey provides epidemiological data about various different mental health conditions in the United States population. Here’s some of the key findings:
Of the mental health conditions examined, the highest lifetime rates were for Substance Use Disorders, with about 35% of Americans impacted at some point in their lifetime. Nicotine dependence had the highest rates, followed by alcohol abuse.
Anxiety disorders were found to impact around 31% of Americans at some point in their lifetime. Lifetime rates for specific disorders included:
Specific Phobia- 12.5%
Social Phobia- 12.1%
Separation anxiety disorder- 9.2%
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - 6.8%
Generalized Anxiety Disorder- 5.7%
Around one in five were found to be impacted by mood disorders during their lifetime.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) - 16.9%
Bipolar Spectrum Disorders - 4.4%
National Survey on Drug Use and Health
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA for short, is the government agency that leads public health efforts to advance behavioral health across the United States. SAMHSA conducts an annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) to collect data on mental health conditions and substance use at the national and state levels. The most recent NSDUH data available is from 2023, so it’s more recent than the NCS data we reviewed above. Let’s take a look at some key findings from the results.
Mental Illness
According to the most recent NSDUH data, around 22% of adults in the United States are impacted by mental illness in a given year. The rates were even higher among younger age groups, with around one in every three young adults (ages 18 to 25) impacted. Multiracial adults had higher rates than other racial groups, with over 36% of this group impacted by mental illness in the past year.
Only 23% of Americans who experienced a mental illness in the past year reported receiving mental health treatment. Younger adults had higher rates of involvement in mental health treatment than those over the age of fifty.
Around 16% of US adults who experienced a mental illness in the past year reported taking prescription medications for their mental health. Over 30 million American adults received mental health treatment via telehealth. Asian, Black, and Hispanic Americans were less likely to have received prescription medications or telehealth treatment.
The survey also examined some of the reasons people identified for not receiving mental health treatment. The most common reasons were beliefs that they should be able to handle their mental health on their own, and concerns about the cost of treatment.
Depression
According to the 2023 NSDUH, 8.5% of US adults experienced a Major Depressive Episode (MDE) over the past year. Major Depressive Episodes were even more common among younger age groups. Around 17.5% of young adults ages 18 to 25 and around 10% of adults ages 26 to 49 were impacted during the past year.
When the results are broken down by race/ethnicity, multiracial adults had the highest rates at around 17%. Multiracial adults also experienced higher rates of severe impairment as a result of major depressive episodes.
Around two in three adults who experienced a MDE in the past year received treatment for their depression, with around half receiving prescription medications, and about 45% receiving treatment via telehealth. Treatment rates for MDE were lower among those ages 18 to 25 compared to older age groups. Black and Hispanic adults were less likely to have received treatment for depression than White adults.
Anxiety Disorders
The NCS-R results indicate that around 19% of US adults experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year, and over 30% experienced an anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime. Females had higher rates of anxiety disorders than males. Over one in five adults with anxiety disorders experienced serious impairment as a result of their condition.
