Top 5 Mental Health Conditions and Symptoms
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in four people worldwide will be affected by a mental or neurological disorder at some stage of their lives. Understanding mental health and learning effective ways to prevent and manage our mental health is very important.
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A report from WHO indicates that “around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide.”
Independent health research centre, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) lists Anxiety disorders as the most common global mental illness, followed by Depression, Substance Abuse Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia and Eating Disorders.
Another mental health problem that’s been growing is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or ADD), which according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder.
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a mental health condition.
Anxiety Disorders
The World Economic Forum estimated that around 275 million people – around four percent of the global population – suffer from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders refer to a group of mental health disorders characterised by feelings of fear and worry. These emotions may result in physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, shakiness or shortness of breath.
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The five most common types of anxiety disorders are
General Anxiety Disorder, characterized by irrational worry, and chronic tension and anxiety
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), characterized by recurring unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) such as counting, checking, cleaning or hand washing
Panic Disorder, characterised by sudden and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical reactions such as dizziness, increased heart rate or chest pain
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), characterised by anxiety responses that develop after exposure to a life-threatening or terrifying event
Social Anxiety Disorder, characterized by excessive self-consciousness and overwhelming fear of everyday social situations.
Mood Disorders
Sufferers of mood disorders experience distorted emotional states that impair their ability to function. The two most common types of mood disorders are Depression and Bipolar Disorder.
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As the leading cause of disability-related unemployment worldwide, Depression affects more than 264 million people of all ages. It occurs twice as often in women than it does in men.
Depression involves persistent feelings of sadness and an inability to experience pleasure from formerly pleasurable activities. Commonly shared symptoms include sleeping too much or too little, fatigue, difficulty focusing or making decisions, loss of sexual desire, restlessness and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
The key symptoms of Bipolar Disorder – a mental illness marked by extreme mood swings – is where the sufferer alternates between periods of feeling elated and intensely energetic (mania) and periods of sadness and lethargy (depression).
Substance Abuse Disorder
A 2019 report by the United Nations estimates that 35 million people worldwide have a problem with substance abuse.
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A person struggles with Substance Abuse Disorder when the chronic use of mind-altering substances such as alcohol, marijuana, nicotine, opiates, sedatives, stimulants such as amphetamine or cocaine, or inhalants such as solvents or butane, lead to a change in a person’s brain chemistry, thoughts, and behaviours.
The sufferer develops a dependence or addiction on the substance; he/she will require increased amounts of the substance and is unable to control their usage despite harmful consequences.
Schizophrenia
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Schizophrenia falls under the category of psychotic disorders – a group of severe mental illnesses characterised by abnormal thoughts, perceptions, and behaviours that cause the sufferer to lose touch with reality.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia may include delusions – paranoia or fantastical beliefs that are not based in reality, disorganised thinking or speech, hallucinations, bizarre or inappropriate motor activity, extreme impassivity, isolation and the neglect of personal hygiene.
Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia are mental disorders distinguished by an unhealthy preoccupation with food and body weight.
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Eating disorders often stem from a distorted body image and an unhealthy relationship with food, which may result from emotional trauma, depression, or anxiety.
Often occurring in perfectionists or those with low self-esteem, Anorexia is a term used by mental health professionals to describe individuals that starve themselves till they reach a dangerously low weight.
Bulimia is characterised by binge eating followed by purging through either vomiting or the use of laxatives.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A neurodevelopmental disorder that occurs in early childhood, the ADHD Institute estimates that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), previously known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), affects about 2.2 percent of children and teenagers under the age of 18 worldwide. ADHD can also be diagnosed and treated in adulthood.
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In children, it is often incorrectly perceived as restlessness or poor discipline. Children with ADHD may display difficulties in school, academic performance, disruptive social behavior, temper tantrums, aggressiveness and mood swings.
Common symptoms typically include, but are not limited to difficulty focusing or concentrating on a single task, inattentiveness, behavior characterized by impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
It requires a trained mental health professional to appropriately diagnose and treat ADHD.
If you are struggling with your mental health, or suspect you may be suffering from depression, anxiety, addiction, schizophrenia, eating disorder or ADHD, know that help is available to you and you are not alone.
Depending on your condition, a trained mental health professional may suggest a combination of talk therapy and prescription of medication. Talk therapy includes a number of different approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Psychodynamic Approach, and more, where the objective in therapy is to help you better understand, work through and overcome some of the challenges and difficulties that you are facing.
If you think you or someone you know might be suffering from one of the above or any mental health problems, please seek help from a licensed clinical psychologist or psychiatrist.
Common Care provides a full-service online therapy platform with the largest selection of qualified online therapists. After completing an initial intake assessment, we recommend suitable therapists based on your needs, preferences and goals in therapy. Begin therapy anytime, anywhere at affordable prices.
Sources:
“Mental Disorders Affect One in Four People.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 29 July 2013, www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/.
Ritchie, Hannah, and Max Roser. “Mental Health.” Our World in Data, 20 Jan. 2018, ourworldindata.org/mental-health#prevalence-of-mental-health-disorders-by-disorder-type.
“Data and Statistics About ADHD.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Oct. 2019, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html.
“Depression.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression.
Digital Communications Division. “What Are the Five Major Types of Anxiety Disorders?” HHS.gov, 21 Aug. 2015, www.hhs.gov/answers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse/what-are-the-five-major-types-of-anxiety-disorders/index.html.
“Women's Increased Risk of Depression.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 29 Jan. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression/art-20047725.
“United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” World Drug Report 2019: 35 Million People Worldwide Suffer from Drug Use Disorders While Only 1 in 7 People Receive Treatment, www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2019/June/world-drug-report-2019_-35-million-people-worldwide-suffer-from-drug-use-disorders-while-only-1-in-7-people-receive-treatment.html.
Sassaroli, Sandra, and Giovanni Maria Ruggiero. “The Role of Stress in the Association between Low Self-Esteem, Perfectionism, and Worry, and Eating Disorders.” The International Journal of Eating Disorders, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2005, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15732079.
“ADHD Epidemiology.” ADHD Institute, adhd-institute.com/burden-of-adhd/epidemiology/.