Prevalence of Mental Illness
The World Health Organization ranks mental health conditions, including alcohol and substance use disorders, as the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada, affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. 1 in 4 adults experience a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year (approximately 61.5 million Americans) and 1 in 17 adults live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Yet more than half will not seek treatment.
Why?
The primary reason individuals fail to seek the help they need is due to the stigma associated with the disease of mental illness. Main reasons cited are shame and fear of judgment from friends, family and co‐workers. Such judgment is often rooted in a lack of knowledge or training. It is our goal to disseminate information and foster a stigma‐free environment where people are free from judgment and can get the help they need to recover from disease.
For information about resources here in Morris County, visit the
Morris County Human Services Stigma Free page.
For more information on the disease of mental illness, visit
www.nami.org