Reply #33: WP- U.S. Leads In Mental Illness, Lags in Treatment

[Rose Siding]

One-quarter of all Americans met the criteria for having a mental illness within the past year, and fully a quarter of those had a "serious" disorder that significantly disrupted their ability to function day to day, according to the largest and most detailed survey of the nation's mental health, published yesterday.

Although parallel studies in 27 other countries are not yet complete, the new numbers suggest that the United States is poised to rank No. 1 globally for mental illness, researchers said.
...
It is not clear why Americans have such high rates of mental illness, but cultural factors clearly play a role. People who move here from abroad quickly increase their risk of mental health problems, especially if they do not live in native ethnic communities. Minorities also tend to have lower levels of mental health problems despite their lower economic status, suggesting that the social support they provide each other is protective.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/06/AR2005060601651.html