Approximately 60.9 million American adults have a mood or anxiety disorder

Many of that 60.9 million go untreated most of their lives. Serious mental illnesses (SMIs), which afflict about 6% of American adults, cost society $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year, according to findings published in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry, as reported by Time magazine.

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders include major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder.

* Approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a mood disorder.^1,2
* The median age of onset for mood disorders is 30 years.⁵
* Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.⁵

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias (social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia).

* Approximately 40 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 18.1 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have an anxiety disorder.^1,2
* Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders or substance abuse.¹
* Most people with one anxiety disorder also have another anxiety disorder. Nearly three-quarters of those with an anxiety disorder will have their first episode by age 21.5 ⁵

Panic Disorder

* Approximately 6 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 2.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have panic disorder.^{1, 2}
* Panic disorder typically develops in early adulthood (median age of onset is 24), but the age of onset extends throughout adulthood.⁵
* About one in three people with panic disorder develops agoraphobia, a condition in which the individual becomes afraid of being in any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack.¹²

Treatment Improves the Quality of Your Life

Anxiety, panic, depression and other mood disorders, even the most severe cases, are highly treatable disorders. As with many illnesses, the earlier that treatment can begin, the more effective it is and the greater the likelihood that recurrence can be prevented. The most common treatments are medication and psychotherapy.You can learn to manage your mood, so that you can focus more on enjoying your life.

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