Mental health conditions refer to all diagnosable mental, emotional and behavioral disorders.  These conditions, including clinical depression, anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder, are becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States.  When properly diagnosed mental health conditions can be treated, however, many remain undiagnosed.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one out of five adults ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder each year (22.1%).   While not all conditions are diagnosed, this projects to approximately 44 million U.S. adults with diagnosable mental disorders each year.

MENTAL HEALTH AMONG ADULTS IN SEPA:

Results from PHMC’s Community Health Data Base 2002 Household Health Survey indicate that adults (ages 18 and older) in Southeastern Pennsylvania average 3.6 days per month in which their mental health is not good and 2.4 days in which they cannot complete their usual activities due to poor mental or physical health.  In SEPA, 12.7% of adults have been diagnosed with a mental health condition .  This represents 364, 700 adults in the region.  Greater than half (56.8%) of these adults are currently receiving treatment.  Even more adults are likely to have mental health conditions that have not yet been diagnosed.

• Women are much more likely than men to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (15.5% compared to 9.4%) and also average a greater number of poor mental health days per month than men (4.2 days compared to 2.8 days).  Among adults who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, a higher percentage of women are currently receiving treatment than are men (58.4% compared to 53.7%).
• Latino adults are more likely to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (17.9%) than are white (13.5%), black (10.0%) or Asian adults (4.1%).  A higher percentage of white adults who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition are currently receiving treatment than are minority adults (60.5% compared to 45.3%).
• Adults ages 40-59 years old are more likely to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (14.6%) than adults ages 18-39 (13.1%) and 60 and older (8.8%).  They are also the most likely to currently be receiving treatment (64.9%) than adults ages 18-39 (46.2%) and 60 and older (61.8%). 
• One in five poor adults have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (20.0%), compared to 11.8% of non-poor adults, however, non-poor adults are much more likely to currently be receiving treatment than poor adults (64.9% compared to 55.2%).
• One and one-half times as many single adults (15.0%) and twice as many divorced or separated adults (21.0%) have been diagnosed with a mental health condition compared to married adults in SEPA (10.0%).
• Retired adults are the least likely to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (8.9%) followed by adults who are employed full or part time (10.7%), adults who are full-time students (11.1%) and home-makers (14.3%).  More than twice as many unemployed adults (23.0%) and three and a half times as many adults who are unable to work (37.6%) suffer from a mental health condition compared to adults who are employed full or part-time (10.7%).  (See Figure 1)

MENTAL HEALTH AMONG CHILDREN IN SEPA:

Mental health conditions among children typically include depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety, conduct, and eating disorders.  According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one of the main causes of mental health conditions among children is stress related to poverty, violence or discrimination .  According to the national statistics, at least one in five children have a mental health condition, but it is likely that many of these disorders are not diagnosed.   

In Southeastern Pennsylvania, one in ten children have reportedly been diagnosed with a mental health condition (10.2%).  This represents an estimated 72,800 children in the area with diagnosed mental health conditions, with even more children likely to have undiagnosed conditions.  Currently, 71.9% of children who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition are receiving treatment for their condition.  While children in SEPA are slightly less likely to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition than adults (10.2% compared to 12.7%), the percentage of children receiving treatment (71.9%) is much higher than that of adults (56.8%).

• Among children, boys are more likely than girls to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (12.8% versus 7.4%, respectively), however, boys and girls are nearly equally as likely to be receiving treatment (71.5% and 72.7%, respectively).
• The percentage of teens ages 13-17 who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition is nearly twice the number of 5-12 year olds (14.4% versus 7.3%), however, younger children (ages 5-12) are more likely to be receiving treatment than teens (75.6% versus 69.3%). 
• Children who are poor are more likely to have a mental health condition than children who are not poor (14.0% and 9.4%, respectively).  They are also more likely than children who are not poor to currently be receiving treatment (86.6% compared to 67.8%).
• Latino children (16.3%) are more likely than white (10.6%) or black (9.1%) children to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition.  Latino children who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition are also more likely to currently receive treatment (76.1%) compared to white (72.9%) or black (67.1%) children.

MENTAL HEALTH AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN SEPA:

Depression, which is commonly referred to as “the invisible disease,” has become one of the most significant mental health conditions facing older adults, yet it remains a widely “underrecognized and undertreated medical illness” .  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “the suffering endured by people with depression and the lives lost to suicide attest to the great burden of this disorder on individuals, families, and society.”   Depression can be treated, but unfortunately many cases of depression among older adults remain undiagnosed and untreated.
PHMC’s 2002 Household Health Survey reveals that more older adults ages 60 and older may suffer from depression (12.7%) than have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (8.8%).    

• In SEPA, women ages 60 years and older are more likely to report signs of major depression than are men (14.3% versus 10.4%).
• One in four Latino adults ages 60 and older report signs of major depression (25.9%) as compared to only half as many white (12.3%) and black (13.8%) adults.
• Over twice as many older adults who are divorced or separated (20.0%) or widowed (18.0%) report signs of major depression as compared to older adults who are married (8.7%).  (See Figure 2)

Nationally, adults, children and the elderly are increasingly suffering from a wide range of mental health conditions.  Results from PHMC’s Household Health Survey indicate that many residents of Southeastern Pennsylvania have been diagnosed with mental health conditions and are currently receiving treatment.  Even more, however, are likely to have undiagnosed disorders.  While treatment options are available, these mental health conditions must first be diagnosed by a medical professional.  Because so many mental health conditions remain undiagnosed, especially cases of depression among older adults, “improved recognition, treatment, and prevention of depression [and other mental health conditions] are critical public health priorities”

For information regarding PHMC’s Community Health Data Base 2002 Household Health Survey, or to learn more about the prevalence of mental health conditions among residents of Southeastern Pennsylvania, contact Diana Levengood, at (215) 731-2039 or dianal@phmc.org.