Over the past year, 1 in 5 people over the age of 18 (45.6 million) in the United States had mental illness.

Previous research indicated that people who have jobs in creative fields are diagnosed and treated with a mental illness more often than the general public, showing a link between creativity and mental illness.

The current finding was reported by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH): Mental Health Findings report shows the results relating to mental he alt from the 2011 NSDUH.

The NSDUH is the main source in the USA of statistics on civilians over 12 years of age (noninstitutionalized), regarding their consumption of illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

The survey has been conducted by the federal government since 1971. It gathers information nationally through face-to-face interviews with an estimated 65,750 people aged 12 or older at each person’s home.

Among the people aged 18 to 25, the rate of mental illness was over two times greater than among those aged 50 and older (29.8% vs. 14.3%). Adult females also had a higher chance of having mental illness in the past year than men (23% vs.15.9%).

Based on criteria described in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, mental illness among people over the age of 18 is identified as having had a diagnosable emotional, mental, or behavioral disorder in the past year. The criteria does not include having developmental or substance use disorders.

In the past year, five percent of adults in the U.S. (11.5 million) had serious mental illness, according to the 2011 NSDUH. Experts define serious mental illness as when severe functional impairment results from mental illness, and this impairment disrupts or limits one or more important life activities.

Between 2010 and 2011, mental illness rates did not change.

SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde explained:

“Although mental illness remains a serious public health issue, increasingly we know that people who experience it can be successfully treated and can live full, productive lives. Like other medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, the key to recovery is identifying the problem and taking active measures to treat it as soon as possible.”

Only about 4 in 10 adults (38.2%) with mental illness in the past year received help from a mental health professional during that time. However, the rate of treatment was significantly higher (59.6 percent).

Unfortunately, approximately 8.5 million adults in the U.S. (3.7%) thought about committing suicide in the last year – 2.4 million (1%) made plans to do so and 1.1 million (.5%) attempted suicide.

Adults who had mental illness had higher rates for substance dependence or abuse compared to those who did not have mental illness. Adults who had mental illness in the past year also had a 3 times higher chance to have met the criteria for substance dependence or abuse during that time compared to those who did not have mental illness (17.5%vs. 5.8%).

People with serious mental illness had an even higher chance of having had substance dependence or abuse (22.6%).

In the past year, there were 2.0 million individuals aged 12 to 17 (8.2%) that went through a major depressive episode, which is a period of two weeks or more when a person has a depressed mood or loss of interest in their usual activities, and has at least 4 of the 7 symptoms listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The report also demonstrated that adolescents aged 12 to 17 who went through a major depressive episode in the past year have over two times the rate of past year illegal drug use than people of the same age who did not go through a major depressive episode during that time (36 vs 17.4%).

Written by Sarah Glynn