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Mental health problems such as depression account for nearly half of all disability among young people between the ages of 10 and 24, according to a new study from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Researchers looked at data from 191 countries and estimated the number of years of good health lost to disability resulting from disease and injury (known as disability-adjusted life years). Among adolescents and young adults, 45 percent of disability was related to depression, bipolar illness, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders, including alcohol abuse.
Dr. John S. Santelli, M.D., a professor of population and family health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, in New York City, says that, fortunately, mental health issues at the root of a young person’s disability generally respond to prevention, early detection, and treatment.
"There’s much better behavioral treatments, there’s much better pharmacological treatments as well," says Santelli, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, which was published in the journal The Lancet. "We know what to do. We just need to do it."
The study was the first ever to look at the international burden of disability in young people. Worldwide, the researchers estimated, disability claimed about 236 million healthy years from this group, which includes both estimated and actual years of life lost to illness and premature death.
After mental disorders, accidental injuries were the second largest cause of disability, accounting for 12 percent, followed by communicable diseases (including HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis) at 10 percent.
Binky42-
I am confused, wouldn't your hormone problems also be treated by a drug??? Probably one promoted by big Pharma as well. In many cases NON-DRUG therapy helps with depression, but that isn't the case for any hormonal problem that I know of.
I agree!
Where is your evidence??? If you claim there is no research into this, you are surelly mistaken. There is TONS of research on everything from Strep-induced OCD to drug-induced psychosis. This is well recognized in the mental health field. Everyone wants to believe that their depression and anxiety is called by something Other than just "mental illness." In some cases this is true and I would encourage anyone who thinks they may have depression to get tested for a whole host of "medical"l causes of anxiety/depression, for example thyroid problems and hormone issues. Any reputable psychiatrist or psychologist would recommend the same. But even if those issues are treated, you may still have depression and anxiety that needs independent treatment. For the majority, an easily resolvable medical issue isn't the only cause of their mental health problems.
I hear yah! Try looking on the National Association for CBTtherapists, or nacbt.org (http://nacbt.org/searchfortherapists.asp). These people use evidence based treatment. If they don't take your insurance, try asking for sliding scale or a payment plan. Another option is to get a drastically reduced rate from an advanced, supervised doctoral student or to enter a clinical trial where you get free therapy. (usually already well established therapy). Try looking at nearby university that have clinical psychology programs, that's where you would find reduced price evidence-based therapy. In the meantime, just keep searching and asking for referrals.
There is already a TON of research on non-drug treatments for depression. I will summarize it for you, for mild-moderate cases of depression, cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and possibility mindfulness-based therapy help a lot, but for severe cases, medication combined with therapy are usually necessary to achieve significant symptom improvement. If you want more info look on psychcentral.com or the American Psychological Association's website. (Exercise and Omega-3's pretty help everyone with depression as well)
I have been on a low dose of a antidepressant for over 2 years now it has been a lifesaver for me before I started taking the medication i was moody, not sleeping, crying all the time, and etc… I believe mental illness is a real problem that needs to be addressed especially with the young people of this country. They need more education about it in middle school and high school so they can spot the signs in friends or themselves.
John – I believe you read Wendy's post incorrectly. She said addiction should NOT be treated simply as a lack of willpower. About mental illness, she says the stigma associated with it should be removed so that more people can get early intervention and treatment. Please read others' posts fully before lashing insults on them.
Many stay-at-home moms are so depressed and unhappy themselves they pass it on to their children. I agree with Tom, using your life experience to generalize for the entire population is extremely ignorant.
Life's natural combatants to depression and anxiety are on constant and drastic decline in today's world. Family support, friends, community, excercise & active lifestyle, positive messages, optimism, proper nutrition, adequate rest, time spent outdoors, productivity – all of these are areas in which our youth (and really, most of us) are lacking. As long as this continues, it's no wonder cases of mental illness are on the rise.
@Charter Autism and mental illness are not the same thing? Autism is a developmental disorder and mental illness often implies psychotic symptoms. I can appreciate your efforts on raising a child with autism. It is not easy task to be sure.
I wholeheartedly agree with you 2ndOpinion. All of my anxiety and depression was caused by hormonal issues. It just took me a few years to find a doctor who would work with me to actually figure this out! Very frustrating!! I really do believe that a lot of doctors are in the Big Pharmaceuticals pocket. 9 out of 10 doctors would rather prescribe antidepressants than actually find out what the cause of your depression is.
The most common mental disorders, depression and anxiety, are usually symptoms of other conditions. Doctors need to stop treating depression and anxiety with pills and look harder for the REAL cause. Treat the condition, not the symptoms!! In my case, it was a hormonal imbalance, but I had to shop around for years to find a doctor who would actually listen to me instead of throwing anti-depressants at me.
How do you know that "many will never be able to stop taking medications"?
Oh, look. Valerie's pontificating yet again. Got any evidence that mental illness is 'caused' by extended adolescence?
Wzrd, while you are welcome to make up your own opinions, you are not allowed to make up your own facts. There is no evidence that stay-at-home mothers result in healthier, happier children. It's just not there. Your anecdotes about your life are lovely (sarcasm), but they don't add up to squat. What does matter is statistical evidence, and there isn't a shred that shows kids of stay-at-home mothers do better than those of working mothers.
And one of the worse part is many will never be able to stop taking medications. Is very sad
Sunbird,
I'm surprised that they didn't mention hormones as a contributing factor to some of these mental issues in youth. Before you go attacking me, notice I said "some" and not all. Hormones can reek havoc on both the young and the old. Also a big concern I have is the over medicating of people and the effects on the next generation. What kinds of birth defects and new diseases will be in our children 20 years from now because of the prescriptions we take today? Mark my words, disease, mental disability and new diseases will increase dramatically over the next few years and there will just more new drugs to treat those too.
I would love to see more research into non-drug therapy for depression, esp in children .. Such therapies as counseling/psycotherapy, bio-feedback, diet-amino-acid therapy, acupunture etc.. I'm not saying Anti-depressants don't work for few ( poss placebo effect), but the side-effects and withdrawel from them are extreamly dangerous.. I know drugs companies want to make a profit, but we need to think of people first..
So, Lisa, you wish that a severe Downs syndrome child starve?
A kid that contracted polio should suffocate?
A child that suffered a massive brain trauma simply be left to rot?
May you and your entire family suffer the same fate as your lack of compassion!
Honestly, if it were in my power, I'd revoke your license, in every state of the union!
YOU would starve your fellow citizen to death, in your financial mercy, or lack thereof.
I only lack one piece of information.
Are you tea party or Libertarian?
No matter, both act the same way, irresponsible to the weak elements of society.
Disrespecting veterans, who not only are proficient with automatic arms, but also know WHERE said arms and ordinance are stored…
So, see your second amendment options.
We know where ours are.
And we WILL seek for the corruption of blood. Just because you blame us for what you asked of us., then blamed us for.
Child, you have a GREAT deal to learn about this world.
Consider the gradual in nature of the REAL WORLD.
YOU live an isolated and pleasant life!
Consider the African villager, whose peers have malaria. Others in the village and even family have Nodding disease. Still others have tapeworms and other parasites. The harvest of off, due to a lack of rain. Hunting is a pain, due to animals dying off from the drought. Goats wander the streets in your village, everyone knows WHO owns that goat, that is food soon, but not for your family. It's not your family goat!
Some of the village children have been stricken by polio, most will die soon from it.
YOU are healthy, but hope like hell that you won't get injured or you and your family will starve.
Chart (excuse the abbreviation, but it's late…),
I'm a decorated veteran. I salute you and wish I had a medal to pin to your shirt!
There is no higher honor than to be a parent, at least a dedicated parent.
There is also no greater chore.
My wife and I decided before marriage that she would be a stay at home MOM. We BOTH considered that of prime importance.
The results of our efforts are apparent, one child is now a professional chef, the other a registered nurse with a child of her own.
There is NO replacing a mother in the home. Ever. An employee, whether it is a nanny or day care provider is NOT a mother to the child, the bond is not there.
With a challenged child, the duty is trebled. Even worse, the disdain that our medical establishment has shown to the autistic.
A vast spectrum of disorders is hard to find, save in autism.
And a less researched field you cannot find, where Downs syndrome is FAR better researched. Repeatedly.
May you both find a contributing role in our society!
You have shown one role today, in speaking for those downtrodden.
May your child find his or her voice and contribution.
And may we manage that our society gets its head out of its rectum…
I have a child with ADHD and did not get him medicine until he was 7. The doctor said at 6 it would improve his abilities to learn! He was to young in my book so we monitored him and we waited. The best thing I did was get him medicine and at 8 he is doing amazing in school! I also have a son with CP and for anyone to say a parent wants a check etc doesn't look at the parents that DO NOT receive any financial help at all!!!! The parents that do any and everything just for the love they have for their child. I do it all because I love my sons and they are the best thing I have ever done in my life.
Only issue is, it's near impossible to find evidence based treatment. Medications, sure, but antipsychotics are overprescribed and for people who really need medications the side effects are too much to bare.. Finding a good therapist is a crapshoot, I know the modalities that work but can't seem to fund a therapist who isn't practicing woo woo therapies like the "emotional freedom technique" and EMDR. And I am so tired of having my atheism treated as a symptom! I was just as anxious and depressed with I believed in the invisible guy in the clouds as I am now And if I find someone decent they either don't take my insurance or they having waiting listsnthat are years long.
There's always someone claiming there's a way to overcome depression with 'willpower.' I tried that. I was suicidal and came very close to committing the act. Willpower has nothing to do with feelings. Ofttimes those who claim that willpower saves them have a problem with depression in their own lives.
Oh, look, someone thinks she knows better than science and medicine. And Lisa, believing that parents want their children to be abnormal.
Tell me how a child that can't work can draw a disability check. Did anyone stop to think….some parent's want their children to be disabled so they can get more money. I am a nurse and worked for a pediatrician for years, only to see more and more parents that don't want to "parent" get their kids on meds for ADD, for normal little kids. Medicate and get a check. It sickens me.
What if, instead of assuming that the transition from childhood to adulthood should be as gradual and seamless as possible, we assumed that everybody gets at least a little bit crazy during this period of life (defined, in Western society, as an incredibly prolonged adolescence)? In many traditional (or so-called "primitive") cultures, this transition was managed by traditional rites and rituals. Girls were spirited away when they had their first periods, boys were virtually kidnapped by the tribal elders, and their "coming-of-age" rituals were pretty much designed to make them as crazy as possible (to destroy their previous understanding of the world in which they had lived) – but only for a relatively short, monitored period of tiime.
Today, we ask our adolescents to make this momentous transition almost alone, without societal.cultural support, and then define them as "ill"when they cannot define themselves or create a functional worldview based solely on their individual resources.
This is really a very cruel society. In material goods, perhaps, and in opportunities for those who can meet its exacting standards, it is good, but it disposes of many worthwhile human beings by not offering the gentleness, support, and acceptance that they need in order to grow and contribute to our common culture.
That should be "regarded as simply a lack of willpower" not "treated".
The effectiveness of early intervention and prevention offers further proof that mental illness should be destigmatized once and for all and addiction should not be treated as simply a lack of willpower. Often both substance abuse and mental illness are present and without treating one it is impossible to address the other. If you have enjoyed good health without either or both of these maladies affecting you or someone you love, be thankful.