[Vision2020] 12 States Struggling With Mental Illness

[Kenneth Marcy]

12 States Struggling With Mental Illness

*http://tinyurl.com/js4np5l *

Close to 10 million Americans suffer from chronic depression, bipolar 
disorder, or another serious mental illness. Depression alone is the 
leading cause of disability worldwide. In the United States, mental 
illness — including depression — takes an enormous toll on health 
outcomes, quality of life, and economic productivity.

Despite its importance, mental illness is often poorly understood and 
subject to misperceptions by the general population, government 
officials, and even those who suffer from mental illness. Partially as a 
consequence, just under one-third of individuals with serious mental 
illness — defined as diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional 
disorders that result in functional impairment — are untreated in the 
United States. In 2014, an estimated 44.7% of the 43.6 million adults 
with any mental illness, and 68.5% of the 9.8 million adults with 
serious mental illness received mental health services in the past year.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 12 states where the highest shares of the 
adult population suffers from serious mental illness.

More of the article at the link: *http://tinyurl.com/js4np5l *

*7. Idaho
 > Pct. of adults with serious mental illness:* 4.9%
*> Total adults with serious mental illness:* 59,000 (12th lowest)
*> Pct. of adults abusing alcohol or illicit drugs:* 9.1% (23rd highest)
*> Poverty rate:* 15.6% (20th highest)

In Idaho, 20.3% of adults have some sort of mental disorder, including 
serious mental illnesses as well as less severe mental disorders, one of 
the largest shares in the country and considerably more than the 17.8% 
share of American adults suffering from a mental illness. Of the state’s 
mentally ill residents, roughly 59,000 suffer from a serious mental 
illness — schizophrenia, severe depression, and other disorder that can 
cause severe functional impairment.

Perhaps because mental illness is more common in Idaho than in much of 
the rest of the country, the state is investing more in treatment 
programs. While many states are reducing funding for mental health 
services, Idaho’s Mental Health Services department’s budget has 
increased in each of the last three years, one of only 12 states to do so.


Ken

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