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>From: The White House <Publications-Admin who-is-at Pub.Pub.WhiteHouse.Gov>
>Subject: 1999-06-07 Fact Sheet on Myths and Facts About Mental Illness
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>Document-ID: pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/1999/6/8/3.text.1
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http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/1999/6/8/
3.text.1
>Delivered-By-The-Graces-Of: White House Electronic Publications
>Keywords: Crime, Economy, Explication, Fact-Sheet, Government, Healthcare,
> Legislation, Midwest-Region, Ohio, Science, Security, Social, Social-Values,
> Staff-Report, Technology
>
> THE WHITE HOUSE
>
> Office of the Press Secretary
>________________________________________________________________________
>For Immediate Release June 7, 1999
>
>
> MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS
>
> June 7, 1999
>
>
>MYTH #1: Mental illness is not a disease and cannot be treated.
>
>FACT: Research in the last decade proves that mental illnesses are
> diagnosable disorders of the brain. New brain imaging
> technologies visually illustrate the differences in the
> brains of healthy people and people with serious mental
> disorders, such as schizophrenia. They show reductions in
> the overall volume of the brain and distinct differences in
> the way in which the brain processes information. There are
> also now effective treatments for mental illness that, for
> example, relieve symptoms for 80 percent of people with major
> depression; control symptoms such as hallucination or
> delusions for 70 percent of people with schizophrenia; and
> alleviate symptoms for 50 to 60 percent of people with
> Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
>
>MYTH #2: Mental illness doesn't happen to people like me or my family.
>
>FACT: Mental illness affects most extended American families. One
> in five Americans suffer from mental illness at some point in
> their life. These illnesses strike all kinds of families,
> regardless of race, socioeconomic class, educational level or
> place of residence. Schizophrenia occurs at equal rates
> regardless of education, socioeconomic status, or culture.
> Depression, panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorders
> are also equal opportunity illnesses. Women suffer from
> depression at twice the rate of men regardless of where they
> live, their culture, or socioeconomic status. Five million
> older Americans suffer from depression, and one in ten
> children and adolescents suffer from some type of mental
> illness. Mental illness can happen to anyone.
>
>MYTH #3: Depression is a part of life that can be worked through
> without seeking help.
>
>FACT: Depression is a diagnosable, treatable illness that affects
> 19 million adult Americans each year. It is a disorder of
> the brain that is characterized by serious and persistent
> symptoms such as changes in sleep, appetite, and energy;
> cognitive losses such as slowed thinking; and clearly
> discernible feelings like irritability, hopelessness, and
> guilt. The severity and duration of depression symptoms are
> clearly distinguishable from sadness and mood swings that are
> part of life. When untreated, depression can have serious
> consequences. Depression is the cause of over two-thirds of
> the 30,000 American suicides each year, and according to the
> World Health Organization, it is the leading cause of
> disability in the United States. However, there are
> effective treatments available that have proven to have 80
> percent success rate for people diagnosed with depression.
>
>MYTH #4: Teenagers don't suffer from "real" mental illness; they are
> just moody.
>
>FACT: We now know that teenagers and even younger children, can and
> do suffer from mental illness. One in ten children and
> adolescents suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause
> some level of impairment, but fewer than 20 percent of these
> children receive treatment. Without treatment, schoolwork
> may suffer, normal family and peer relationships may be
> disrupted, and violent acts may occur. In fact, depression
> may lead to suicide, which is the third leading cause of
> death among young adults. However, recent studies indicate
> that 60 percent of depressed teenagers will improve with
> modern treatments.
>
>MYTH #5: Depression is a part of aging.
>
>FACT: Research shows that depression is not a normal part of aging,
> but that it is relatively prevalent among older people and
> can have serious adverse consequences. Nearly 5 million of
> the 32 million Americans age 65 and older suffer from
> clinical depression. While only 13 percent of the U.S.
> population, individuals ages 65 and older account for 20
> percent of all suicide deaths, with white males being most
> vulnerable. And older persons with other serious health
> problems (strokes, hip fractures, heart conditions)
> depression may delay recovery, cause refusal of treatment,
> and lead to excessive disability and even death. However,
> effective mental health treatment is available for older
> Americans suffering from mental illness.
>
>MYTH #6: Talk about suicide is an idle threat that need not be taken
> seriously.
>
>FACT: People who admit to having thoughts and plans about suicide
> and people who have attempted suicide are at increased risk
> for completing suicide in the future. In a study of nearly
> 4,000 adults seeking psychiatric treatment, persons with a
> history of severe suicidal thoughts were 14 times more likely
> than other individuals to later commit suicide within four
> years. Research has shown that 90 percent of all suicide
> victims have had a mental or substance abuse disorder.
>
>MYTH #7: We cannot afford to treat mental disorders.
>
>FACT: We cannot afford NOT to treat mental illness. Researchers
> estimate that mental illnesses, including indirect costs such
> as days lost from work, cost America tens of billions of
> dollars each year. At the same time, businesses and states
> that have implemented new strategies to treat these disorders
> have not found notable increases in costs. For example, one
> business, Bank One, spearheaded a comprehensive effort to
> improve the company's ability to identify and get appropriate
> treatment for employees with depression in a timely manner.
> Between 1991 and 1995, the direct treatment costs for
> depressive disorders decreased by 60 percent. Moreover, Ohio
> implemented full mental health parity for its state employees
> and did not find that this action increased costs at all.
>
>MYTH #8: People with severe and persistent mental illnesses cannot be
> productive members of society.
>
>FACT: People with psychiatric disabilities face many barriers, but
> appropriate support services can help them to succeed. A
> 1995 study of the Employment Intervention Demonstration
> Program run by the Center for Mental Health Services assessed
> the effectiveness of employment strategies to assist
> individuals with severe mental illness get and keep
> employment. It found that 55 percent of individuals
> receiving such employment support services were working after
> two years. Clearly, people with severe and persistent mental
> illnesses want to be employed and productive, and given
> appropriate treatment and support, they can be.
>
>MYTH #9: Homeless people suffering from mental illness have little
> chance of recovery.
>
>FACT: There are effective treatments for homeless people with
> mental illness. While one-third of homeless Americans suffer
> from an untreated mental illness, research demonstrates a
> decrease in homelessness when outreach to these individuals
> is coupled with case management that provides them with
> appropriate medical treatment and connects them to housing
> and other supportive services. One study reported a 45
> percent reduction in the number of days of homelessness after
> three months of this type of treatment. Over a year, clients
> had a 70 percent increase in the number of days worked,
> demonstrating that homeless persons with mental illnesses can
> make substantial improvements in the overall quality of their
> lives.
>
>MYTH #10: There is no hope for people with mental illness.
>
>FACT: These illnesses, which will affect one in five Americans, can
> be extremely debilitating. However, research proves that
> mental illnesses are diagnosable and treatable disorders of
> the brain. Eighty percent of people treated for severe
> depression and 70 percent or people treated for schizophrenia
> show positive responses to treatment -- far higher rates than
> for many physical illnesses. The challenge is to ensure that
> Americans with mental illness recognize these disorders and
> get the help that they need.
>
> ###
>
>