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Eighty-Five Percent of Americans Say Taking Care of Mental Health is As Important As Physical Health

Posted on: Monday, 30 April 2007, 15:04 CDT

ARLINGTON, Va., April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, more than ever, Americans are confronted with challenges to their mental and physical wellbeing -- whether resulting from a national or personal tragedy or a genetic cause -- and more people are concerned with safeguarding their mental health. Yet, a survey released today by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) finds that while 85 percent of Americans strongly agree that taking care of their mental health is as important as taking care of their physical health, only 24 percent say they know a great deal about treatments that exist for mental illnesses.

The survey also finds that the majority of Americans, including 78 percent of adults with children in the home, say they play a major role in caring for their family's mental health. But, only 37 percent say they understand the causes of mental illnesses "very well."

"It's encouraging to see a heightened public awareness of mental health, but it's also troubling that millions of Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder during any given year and yet the majority of them know little about the help that's available," said Carolyn Robinowitz, M.D., president- elect of the American Psychiatric Association. "The fact is that treatment works."

According to statistics compiled by the federal National Institute of Mental Health, the rate of successful treatment for depression (70-80 percent) is significantly higher than the rate for other chronic illnesses, such as heart disease (45-50 percent).

"Although there's no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health issues, psychiatrists play a particularly critical role in overall wellbeing because, as medical doctors, they are the only mental health practitioners trained in the biological workings of the mind and body," said Dr. Robinowitz.

Survey participants do recognize the value of seeing a psychiatrist, with 9 in 10 respondents in strong or moderate agreement that seeking help from a psychiatrist shows a person is taking control of his or her mental health. Individuals considering a visit to a psychiatrist are heavily influenced by family and friends, with 52 percent saying that having a family member who had seen a psychiatrist would be a major factor in their decision to go.

"It's important for people to tap into any support network they have -- including family, friends, clergy, or primary care physicians -- to maintain good mental health, just as they do to maintain physical health," said Dr. Robinowitz. "This could be as simple as a good conversation during a daily walk with a friend. Or, it may mean expanding beyond those core resources to get support from a psychiatrist."

Additional Survey Findings

Additional study findings highlight gender differences when it comes to knowledge and perceptions about mental illnesses:

-- Women are more likely than men to report greater levels of understanding about mental illnesses. For example, 82 percent of women say they feel they understand the causes of mental illnesses "pretty well" or "very well," as compared to 73 percent of men. Similarly, 68 percent of women say they know "a great deal" or "just some" about effective treatments that exist for mental illnesses, as compared to 53 percent of men. -- Women are more likely to strongly agree that treatment for mental illnesses works (38 percent vs. 28 percent). -- Men are more likely than women to consider attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a mental illness (60 percent vs. 48 percent). -- Finally, while about half of adults (45 percent) say they strongly agree that "psychiatrists help all kinds of people, including people like me" (up from 31 percent in 2005), women are more likely than men to strongly agree with this idea (51 percent vs. 38 percent). About the American Psychiatric Association:

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose more than 38,000 physician members specialize in diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders.

"Healthy Minds. Healthy Lives." is APA's consumer campaign to improve understanding of mental illnesses, psychiatry, and successful treatment options, as well as to reduce stigma. Learn more about these issues and hear people's real-life stories by visiting the campaign's Web site at http://www.healthyminds.org/.

About the Survey:

This national telephone survey of 1,030 American adults ages 18 and older was conducted for the American Psychiatric Association April 5-9, 2007, by Opinion Research Corporation. The sample is based on a methodology designed to produce a representative sample of the U.S. adult population.

Margin of error: The results achieved from all sample surveys are subject to sampling error. Sampling error is defined as the difference between the results obtained from the sample and those that would have been obtained had the entire relevant population been surveyed. The sampling error for the total sample of this survey (n = 1,030) is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Please note that when comparing smaller subgroups, such as respondents divided by gender categories, or income, the margin of error increases.

American Psychiatric Association

CONTACT: Lydia Sermons-Ward of the American Psychiatric Association,+1-703-907-8640 or press@psych.org; Marisa Rainsberger of Porter Novelli,+1-202-973-1388, marisa.rainsberger@porternovelli.com, for the AmericanPsychiatric Association

Web site: http://www.healthyminds.org/

Source: PRNewswire-USNewswire

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