The month of May has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Month. This designation was first made in 1949 by the National Association for Mental Health. The goal of this recognition is to help take away the stigma of having a mental illness, increase awareness of resources available to treat mental illness, and to educate people about what it means to have a mental illness.
In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are sharing important statistics to know:
- Mental illness affects one in twenty people in the United States each year, and one in five of these people are affected very seriously
- Mental illness affects one in six children, and only half are getting treatment
- Half of all lifetime mental illness starts by age 14 and 75% by age 24.
- Anxiety disorder is found in 48 million people
- Major depression is found in 21 million people
- Bipolar depression is found in 7 million people
- Obsessive compulsive disorder is found in 3 million people
- Schizophrenia is found in 1.5 million people
A person who has mental health issues can live a full and productive life if they receive the proper care. Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has a comprehensive Mental Health Department. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call 718-206-5575.
All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.