It has been said over and over, but I feel like the significance of this idea hasn’t sunk in for a lot of people. Although mental illnesses aren’t as obvious as physical illnesses, they are very common and very powerful. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 5 U.S. adults will experience mental health issues in their lifetime, and about two-thirds won’t receive treatment. Mental illnesses can be defined as health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). One of my favorite quotes about mental health is:
Mental illnesses are becoming more and more common, especially among younger generations. 35% of millenials will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, 25% will be diagnosed with a substance addiction, and 20% will have a behavioral disorder, according to NIMH.
Although these illnesses are common, they are not talked about as much as they should be, when appropriate of course. It’s often taboo to talk about mental health. I am currently studying Human Resource Management and wanted to see how much mental health illnesses affect the workplace. The following are some interesting statistics I discovered:
- Depression is estimated to cause 200 million lost workdays, costing employers between $17 and $44 billion a year.
- Workers experiencing unresolved depression are estimated to encounter a 35% drop in their productivity, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
- People with depression miss an average of 4.8 workdays and suffer 11.5 days of reduced productivity within a three-month period.
Mental health has a significant impact on businesses as well, which is why companies should offer support when possible. A study done by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found that nearly 40% of employees would try and cover up a mental health issue from their manager if they could. This is upsetting to me because a mental health illness shouldn’t be seen as a weakness. If people knew how common these illnesses are they might be more open to talking about them when necessary.
Although I understand that mental health illnesses are all around us, I realized that I am not very familiar with the most common types of these illnesses. The top five most common types of mental illnesses are: depression, anxiety, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, and dementia. I think it’s important for everyone to know how common these are, but it’s especially important for those experiencing a mental health illness to know that they are not alone.
These illnesses are common and they should be addressed with a professional if possible. No one should ever be ashamed of a mental health illness and they should not judge others who have one.
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