Significant Mental Health Issues-Anxiety Disorders
I believe that anxiety disorders are mental health’s most significant mental
health issue. Although, one could argue that these disorders vary from quite
mild and controllable with to extreme and severely debilitating, these
disorders affect such a large portion of people. Anxiety disorders which
includes panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress
disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias (social phobia,
agoraphobia, and specific phobia) affect approximately 40 million
Americans or 18.1 % of the US population.
A older person may be perplexed by these numbers and wonder where all
of these cases came from, they would be right to be somewhat confused as
Anxiety disorders have only been recognized by the American Psychiatric
Association since 1980. Since we have confirmed anxiety disorders as a real
thing they have risen. According to Anxiety and Depression Association of
America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in
America. Currently anxiety disorders cost the US 42 billion dollars a year,
about one third of the money spent on mental illnesses.
Anxiety disorders are complex and come with various risk factors, which
include genetics, brain chemistry, personality and life events. The ACAA
also mentions that about half of those with anxiety disorders also experience
depression.
There are several conditions that are included in the anxiety disorders
umbrella. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) affects 6.8 million adults
and twice as common in woman than men. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
(OCD) including hoarding affects 2.2 million and is found equally in men
and woman. Panic Disorder affects 6 million with a high rate of commodity
with depression and twice as common in woman than men. Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects 7.7 million with rape being the highest
trigger for this disorder. Social Anxiety Disorder affects 15 million, with
people in this group usually experiencing symptoms 10 years prior to
seeking help. Specific Phobias affect 19 million with woman having higher
rates. Major Depressive Disorder which affects 14.8 million but is the
leading cause of disability in people between the ages of 15-44.3. Many with
anxiety disorders may have more than one disorder.
I think education and early diagnosis is the best way to combat anxiety
disorders. I am not sure that rates will follow, actually believe they will
continue to rise. Early diagnosis is the best way to help manage these
disorders and give the suffers a better chance at eliminating symptoms. I
think the overall affect of anxiety disorders on society, as a whole is sad and
a bit scary. It seems as America progresses that the environment is a huge
factor for as why anxiety disorders rates are so high. We need to start to
restructure areas of our society if we are ever going to reduce the number of
those suffering with anxiety.
References:
Anxiety and Depression Psychiatric Association, (2013), Facts & Statistics,
Retrieved by http://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
The Kim Foundation, (2006), Mental Disorders in America, Retrieved by
http://www.thekimfoundation.org/html/about_mental_ill/statistics.html
Tracy, Natasha, (May, 2013), Healthy Place-America’s Mental Health
Channel, History of Anxiety Disorders, Retrieved by
http://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles/history-of-anxietydisorders/