According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one in four adults, or 57.7 million Americans, suffer from a mental health disorder each year. Of those, however, only approximately 6% have a disorder that can be classified as severe.
Mental disorders are the number one cause of disability in U.S. citizens aged 15-44. Approximately half of people with mental disorders suffer from more than one disorder simultaneously.
Anxiety Disorders
Phobias fall into a class of mental disorders known as anxiety disorders. This class also includes generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Approximately 40 million Americans, or 18% of the adult population, suffer from anxiety disorders each year.
Most people with anxiety disorders suffer from more than one. Anxiety disorders frequently appear alongside depression and substance abuse as well.
Social Phobia
Social phobia generally appears for the first time in adolescence, at approximately 13 years of age. Approximately 15 million American adults, or 6.8% of the population, suffer from social phobia.
Specific Phobia
Specific phobias generally appear in early childhood, at approximately the age of 7. An estimated 8.7% of Americans, or 19.2 million people, suffer from a specific phobia. Many people suffer from more than one specific phobia.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is commonly associated with panic disorder. Agoraphobia without panic disorder is relatively rare, affecting only 0.8% of the American population, or 1.8 million people.
Conclusion
Mental disorders are underreported among many populations in the United States. This can be attributed to many factors, including a stigma associated with mental illness and lack of adequate funding for treatment. Therefore, it is possible that these numbers are low. However, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the United States among young adults, which demonstrates the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment.
Source:The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America. National Institute of Mental Health. February 15, 2008. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america.shtml
