Widespread controversy generated by the trial and sentencing of Andrea Yates has made one thing clear: as a society, our understanding of how to recognize and deal with mental illness is far from perfect.
That lack of understanding is ironic given the ubiquity of mental disorders. In 1999, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published the first-ever surgeon general's report on mental illness, which estimated that about 20% of Americans experience mental health problems. The report also stated that nearly half of all Americans who have a severe mental illness do not seek treatment, often for fear of the social stigma attached to such illnesses.
Gallup research indicates that a significant percentage of Americans are affected by mental health problems on a routine basis. An April 2001 Gallup survey* asked respondents the following question: "Thinking about your mental health, which includes stress, depression and problems with emotions, for how many days during the past month was your mental health not good?" A total of 48% of respondents said they had at least one day when their mental health was not good. More specifically:
- Six percent (6%) said one day or less
- Eleven percent (11%) said two days
- Fourteen percent (14%) said three to five days
- Four percent (4%) said six to nine days
- Five percent (5%) said 10 to 14 days
- Eight percent (8%) said 15 days or more
Of those who experienced at least one mental health day that was "not good," Gallup also asked, "During the past month, for about how many days did poor mental health keep you from doing your usual activities, such as self-care, work or recreation?" Thirty-two percent (32%) of these respondents said there was at least one day during the month when mental health prevented them from doing their usual activities; 22% reported having three or more such days.
*Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,000 adults, age 18 and older, conducted April 11-29, 2001. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.