Which disorder is the largest mental health disorder in the US?

Asked by: Mrs. Flo Mann Sr.  |  Last update: July 20, 2025
Score: 5/5 (41 votes)

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability for Americans aged 15 to 44. This disorder is more prevalent in women than men. Some of the symptoms include depressed mood, diminished interest or pleasure, change in weight, appetite and sleep patterns, fatigue, and a feeling of worthlessness.

What is the largest mental health disorder in the United States?

Mental Health Statistics by Type

The NIH reports that the most prevalent mental illnesses for adults in the United States are various anxiety disorders. Approximately 19.1% of adults have had an anxiety disorder within the last year.

What mental disorder is most common in the United States?

The most common category of mental health disorders in America—anxiety disorders—impacts approximately 40 million adults 18 and older. Anxiety disorders cause people to experience distressing and frequent fear and apprehension.

What are the top 3 mental disorders?

Of those, the three most common diagnoses are anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These three conditions make up around 30 percent of all diagnoses of mental illness in America. While they share many of the same qualities, they're also significantly different from one another.

What is the most common mental illness among US adults?

Annual prevalence among U.S. adults, by condition:
  • Schizophrenia: <1%
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: 1.2%
  • Borderline Personality Disorder: 1.4%
  • Bipolar Disorder: 2.8%
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: 3.6%
  • Major Depressive Episode: 8.3%
  • Anxiety Disorders: 19.1%

Top 4 Inherited Mental Health Disorders: What You Need to Know

43 related questions found

Which of these disorders is most common in the United States?

Anxiety disorders are considered the most common type of psychiatric disorders in the general population.

What is the most common mental health problem?

The National Collaborating Centre for Mental health Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) manual says that depression and anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problems (affecting approximately 16% of the population at any one time).

What is the top 10 worst mental illness?

What Is the Hardest Mental Illness to Live With?
  • Schizophrenia.
  • Severe Bipolar Disorder.
  • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
  • Major Depression and Treatment-Resistant Depression.
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Eating Disorders.
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • So, What is the hardest mental illness to live with?

What are the statistics of mental illness in the US?

Adult Prevalence of Mental Illness (AMI) 2022

19.86% of adults are experiencing a mental illness. Equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans. 4.91% are experiencing a severe mental illness. The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 16.37% in New Jersey to 26.86% in Utah.

What is the most common diagnosis for mental health?

A few of the most common types of mental health disorders include: Anxiety disorders. Depression, bipolar disorder and other mood disorders. Disruptive behavior disorders, such as oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder.

What is the hardest mental illness to live with?

Borderline personality disorder is one of the most painful mental illnesses since individuals struggling with this disorder are constantly trying to cope with volatile and overwhelming emotions.

Where does the US rank in mental illness?

The United States ranks 29th in the world in prevalence of depressive disorders, with a rate of about 5%, or about 15 million Americans, estimated to have some form of depression. It is the largest country on the top 30 list of countries with the highest depression rates.

At what age does 50% of all lifetime mental illness begin and 75% by what age?

50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.

What is the most common mind disorder in the United States?

The National Alliance of Mental Health reports that one in five adults in America experiences a mental illness in their lifetime. Right now, nearly 10 million Americans are living with a serious mental disorder. The most common are anxiety disorders major depression and bipolar disorder.

What is the number 1 mental illness in the world?

Impacting an estimated 300 million people, depression is the most-common mental disorder and generally affects women more often than men.

What mental disorder makes you hallucinate?

Common causes of hallucinations include: mental health conditions like schizophrenia or a bipolar disorder. drugs and alcohol.

What is the most severe mental illness?

TAC's definition of severe mental illness includes schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, bipolar I disorder, and major depression with psychotic features. These disorders often include psychosis as a component.

Which of the following disorders do Americans report most frequently?

Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders. They affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. However, anxiety disorders are treatable with a number of psychotherapeutic treatments.

How many Americans struggle with mental health in 2024?

Adult Prevalence of Any Mental Illness (AMI) 2024

23.08% of adults experienced a mental illness in the past year,equivalent to nearly 60 million Americans. 5.86% experienced a severe mental illness. The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 19.38% in New Jersey to 29.19% in Utah.

What is the deadliest mental health disorder?

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia has the highest mortality of any psychiatric diagnosis other than opioid use disorder and can be a very serious condition. Body mass index or BMI, a measure of weight for height, is typically under 18.5 in an adult individual with anorexia nervosa.

What is the hardest chronic illness to live with?

Here's a list of debilitating diseases that significantly change the lives of millions of people:
  1. Alzheimer's and Dementia.
  2. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – Lou Gherig's Disease. ...
  3. Parkinson's Disease. ...
  4. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) ...
  5. Scleroderma. ...
  6. Cystic Fibrosis. ...
  7. Chronic Obstructive Pulminary Disease (COPD) ...
  8. Cerebral Palsy. ...

What is the hardest personality disorder to deal with?

Borderline personality disorder historically has been viewed as challenging to treat.

What is the most painful mental illness to live with?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has long been believed to be a disorder that produces the most intense emotional pain and distress in those who have this condition. Studies have shown that borderline patients experience chronic and significant emotional suffering and mental agony.

What is the most overlooked mental illness?

Antisocial Personality Disorder: Often Overlooked and Untreated. Antisocial personality disorder may be one of the most misunderstood mental disorders. It is also often undiagnosed and untreated, according to a recent special report by Donald Black, M.D. in Psychiatric News.

What is the life expectancy of someone with OCD?

We followed both groups for more than four decades (from 1973 to 2020) and found that people with OCD died at an earlier average (mean) age than those without OCD (69 v 78 years). The risk of death during the study period was 82% higher in the group with OCD, compared to the group without OCD.