Mental illnesses are physical brain disorders that profoundly disrupt a person s ability to think, feel, and relate to others and their environment.
Mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.
In any given year, more than five million Americans suffer from an acute episode of mental illness. One in every five families is affected in their lifetime by a severe mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depression. One in ten children and adolescents have mental illnesses severe enough to cause some level of impairment. Yet fewer than one in five of these young people receives needed treatment. Comparatively, the success rate for treatments of heart disease ranges from 41- 52 percent.