Who does mental health affect?
Mental illness does not discriminate; it can affect anyone regardless of your age, gender, geography, income, social status, race/ethnicity, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, background or other aspect of cultural identity.
Young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence of SMI (9.7%) compared to adults aged 26-49 years (6.9%) and aged 50 and older (3.4%). The prevalence of SMI was highest among the adults reporting two or more races (9.9%), followed by American Indian / Alaskan Native (AI/AN) adults (6.6%).
The effect of wellbeing on health is substantial (but variable) and comparable to other risk factors more traditionally targeted by public health such as a healthy diet7. Wellbeing and mental illness are correlated with depression and anxiety, which are associated with low levels of wellbeing8. mental disorder.
Poor mental health influences people's relationships with their children, spouses, relatives, friends, and co-workers. Often, poor mental health leads to problems such as social isolation, which disrupts a person's communication and interactions with others.
The exact cause of most mental disorders is not known, but research suggests that a combination of factors, including heredity, biology, psychological trauma, and environmental stress, might be involved.
The percentage of adults who experienced any symptoms of depression was highest among those aged 18–29 (21.0%), followed by those aged 45–64 (18.4%) and 65 and over (18.4%), and lastly, by those aged 30–44 (16.8%). Women were more likely than men to experience mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of depression.
Youth with mental health disorders are more likely to be unhappy at school, be absent, or be suspended or expelled. Their learning is negatively impacted because of poor concentration, distractibility, inability to retain information, poor peer relationships, and aggressive behavior.
Many adolescents experience positive mental health, but an estimated 49.5 percent of adolescents has had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.
Mental illness of a parent can put stress on the marriage and affect the parenting abilities of the couple, which in turn can harm the child. Some protective factors that can decrease the risk to children include: Knowledge that their parent(s) is ill and that they are not to blame. Help and support from family members.
Providing Help
Mental health services also reduce the risk of chronic diseases related to stress, anxiety and substance abuse. Most importantly, mental health services save lives, while improving the outlook for people who may feel hopeless and lost.
How can we prevent mental illness?
- Talk about your feelings. ...
- Get a good night's sleep. ...
- Eat well. ...
- Stay active. ...
- Practice mindfulness, a way to be fully engaged and present in the moment.
- Keep in touch.
The importance of mental health for students
Our mental health has a direct impact on our ability to take in new information, understand new concepts and master new skills. When struggling with depression, anxiety or other mental health issues, working on assignments and attending classes can become impossible.

Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and distress are more common in undergraduates compared to age-matched peers. Mental ill health among students is associated with impaired academic achievement, worse occupational preparedness, and lower future occupational performance.
Social factors that can influence mental health include race, class, gender, religion, family and peer networks. Our age and stage, and the social roles we have at any time in our life all contribute to this.
What age does anxiety affect the most? The age group most likely affected by anxiety is those from 30 to 44 years of age.
Fifty percent of mental illness begins by age 14, and three-quarters begin by age 24.
Difficult experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood are a common trigger for anxiety problems. Going through stress and trauma when you're very young is likely to have a particularly big impact. Experiences which can trigger anxiety problems include things like: physical or emotional abuse.
21% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2020 (52.9 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults. 5.6% of U.S. adults experienced serious mental illness in 2020 (14.2 million people). This represents 1 in 20 adults.
Message: One in seven young people aged 4 to 17 years experience a mental health condition in any given year. 13.9% of children and young people (aged 4 to 17 years) met the criteria for a diagnosis of a mental disorder in the last 12 months.
Other teens experience intense anger as a symptom of a mental health issue, traumatizing life experience, or simply from the stress and pressures of adolescence. Some of these common triggers of severe anger in teens include: Low self-esteem. Victim of bullying or persistent & unhealthy peer pressure.
Is mental health getting worse?
Mental health conditions are increasing worldwide. Mainly because of demographic changes, there has been a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade (to 2017). Mental health conditions now cause 1 in 5 years lived with disability.
- Educate staff, parents, and students on symptoms of and help for mental health problems.
- Promote social and emotional competency and build resilience.
- Help ensure a positive, safe school environment.
- Teach and reinforce positive behaviors and decision-making.
- Encourage helping others.
One in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. Around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide.
You may wonder: Is your mental health dependent on your neighbor's (and vice versa)? In some ways, yes — there is, in a way, a mental health ripple effect.
Social factors that can influence mental health include race, class, gender, religion, family and peer networks. Our age and stage, and the social roles we have at any time in our life all contribute to this.