The poor and mental health...

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Poor Mental Health on the Rise in the U.S.

More Americans Feeling Stressed, Depressed, or Emotional

By Warner

WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

on Thursday, October 21, 2004

Oct. 21, 2004 -- Feeling distressed? A new CDC report on America's mental

health shows you've got plenty of company.

Researchers found a growing number of Americans report feeling stressed,

depressed, or having problems with their emotions. The results suggest that

poor mental health is on the rise in America and more efforts may be needed

to encourage adults to seek treatment for mental health problems.

Overall, the nationwide survey found the prevalence of adults who reported

poor mental health on 14 or more days during the last month increased from

8.4% in 1993 to 10.1% in 2001.

The report also shows that the poor mental health is more common among women

and certain racial and ethnic minorities.

Poor Mental Health Varies by Group

In the study, which appears in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly

Report, researchers surveyed more than 1 million adults from all 50 states

during 1993-2001 to examine the prevalence of frequent mental distress (FMD)

among Americans.

Frequent mental distress was defined as 14 or more days in the past 30 days

for which the respondent said their mental health, including stress,

depression, and problems with emotions, was not good.

Researchers found the prevalence of frequent mental distress increased 1.7%

from 1993 to 2001, mostly due to increases among certain ethnic and racial

groups.

Poor mental health was most common among American Indians and Alaska Natives

with 14.4% reporting frequent mental distress in 2001. It was least common

among Asian/Pacific Islanders at 6.2%.

Researchers say a high prevalence of unhealthy behaviors, such as

alcoholism, and other physical and social disadvantages among American

Indians and Alaskan Natives may contribute to the high rates of poor mental

health in these groups.

They also say cultural norms and a reluctance to disclose poor mental health

due to perceptions of a stigma among Asians may also partially explain their

low rates of poor mental health.

In addition, the study also showed that several other groups were more

likely to report poor mental health, such as people who were:

Younger

Female

Separated, divorced, or widowed

Unemployed or unable to work

Had an annual household income under $15,000

High school graduates

Had no health insurance

Researchers say targeting these socioeconomic risk factors and improving

access to mental health and social services could help reduce the number of

Americans with poor mental health. Also, efforts to increase education about

mental health to reduce stigmas and encourage people to seek treatment for

mental health problems are needed.

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