The burden of mental health conditions continues to have a major impact on the health and productivity of many Americans 18 years of age and older.  Mental health conditions can include clinical depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease.  Even with a greater understanding of the symptoms of mental illness and more effective treatments available, doctors continue to under diagnosis these conditions. According to the World Health Organization, doctors identify less than one-half of those who meet diagnostic criteria for psychological disorders, and only two in every five people experiencing a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder seek assistance in the year of the onset of the disorder.  

Results from PHMC’s Community Health Data Base 2004 SEPA Household Health Survey show that approximately 12% of adults in SEPA 18 years of age and older have a diagnosed mental health condition, representing over 375,600 adults in the region.  Six out of ten of these adults (60.2%) receive treatment for their mental health condition. Specifically,

• About one in ten (10.9%) women have a diagnosed mental health condition compared to 6.7% of men.
• Latino adults (18.5%) are more likely to have a mental health condition (17.9%) than White (13.5%) or Black (11.2%) adults. Asian adults (2.8%) were least likely to report having a mental health condition. 
• Adults ages 50-59 years are more likely to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (15.4%) than adults ages 40-49 (14.2%), 18-39 (13.3%) and 60 and older (8.9%).  
• More than one in five poor adults have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (22.4%) compared to 11.7% of non-poor adults.
•  Adults in poor health (26.5%) and adults in fair health (23.1%) are more than twice as likely to have a mental health condition compared to adults in good (12.1%) or excellent (7.4%) health. (See Figure 1)

Mental Health Among Older Adults In SEPA

In comparison to younger adults, mental health conditions for many older adults are often under-diagnosed and under-treated. Research shows that when a medical condition is compounded by a mental illness, older adults make more visits to primary care physicians, use more medications and are more likely to be admitted to an emergency room or hospital.   

PHMC’s 2004 SEPA Household Health Survey reveals that more than one in ten (12.6%) older adults (age 60+) are at-risk for depression and about 9% have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (9.2%).    More than two-thirds (67.4%) of older adults receive treatment for this conditon.

• In SEPA, women ages 60 years and older are more likely to have a mental health condition (10.9% versus 6.4%).  
• Older adults between the ages 65-74 (10.0%) are more likely to have a mental health condition compared to adults ages 75 and older (7.5%).   
• Latino adults (20.6%) ages 60 years and older are more likley to have a mental health condition as compared to White (9.6%), Asian (7.7%) and Black (5.2%) adults.
• In terms of at-risk for depression, adults age 85 years and older (18.4%) are more likely to be at-risk for depression compared to adults ages 75-84 (14.8%) and those 65-74 (10.6%).  Older adult women are also more likley to be at-risk for depression compared to older adult males. 

Mental health conditions can affect anyone from the very young to the very old and it is important that research efforts continue to develop the means to a better understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.  When left untreated, mental illness can lead to diminished functioning, substance abuse, poor quality of life and increased mortality.  Promising studies have shown that there are three main factors that can be highly protective against developing mental illness and, in particular, depression.  These factors include: (1) having sufficient autonomy to exercise some control in response to severe events, (2) access to some material resources that allow the possibility of making choices in the face of severe events, and (3) psychological support from family, friends, or health providers.

For information regarding PHMC’s Community Health Data Base 2004 Household Health Survey, or to learn more about the prevalence of mental health conditions among residents of Southeastern Pennsylvania, contact Francine Axler, at (215) 985-2521 or francine@phmc.org.