Nearly 20 Percent Of Americans Dealt With Mental Health Issues Last Year

Mental illness can be particularly difficult to diagnoses and isn't always as clear to treat as other medical illness. Furthermore, some of these issues are still not receiving the proper support and understanding from facilities throughout the United States, as well as many places around the world. However, estimates show that as many as 20 percent of American adults or close to 44 million people were diagnosed with a mental illness in 2013, according to federal officials.

"It is a serious issue that millions of Americans are needlessly affected by mental illness when they can get effective treatment to restore their well-being," SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said in an agency news release. "Now more than ever, people can get the help they need to recover from mental disorders and live full, active lives-they just need to take the first step and seek help." 

A recent survey noted that as many as 10 million adults had serious mental health issues and close to 16 million had major depression episodes. To add to that, another 9 million dealt with serious suicidal thoughts and close to 3 million had suicide plans. Another 1 million had even attempted suicide.

With anything like this and other mental health problems, prevention and diagnosis is always key. If you or anyone you love is dealing with issues, don't wait, get help now.