Strange Facts About Mental Health

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder which leads to symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, apathy towards self, disoriented speech. Patients can't tell the difference between whats real and whats not. They hear sounds, see visions and believe things that are not there.

Who is affected?

• Mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians at some time through a family member, friend or colleague.
• 20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime.
• Mental illness affects people of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures.
• Approximately 8% of adults will experience major depression at some time in their lives.
• About 1% of Canadians will experience bipolar disorder (or “manic depression”).

How common is it?

• Schizophrenia affects 1% of the Canadian population.
• Anxiety disorders affect 5% of the household population, causing mild to severe impairment.
• Suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24 year olds and 16% among 25-44 year olds.
• Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in both men and women from adolescence to middle age.
• The mortality rate due to suicide among men is four times the rate among women.
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• Suicides are actually most common in the spring, and least common in the winter.
• Those who grew up watching black-and-white TV often have dreams that are monochrome.
• Sometimes it is not so obvious. More than 65% of those with a mental illness will still lead a normal, productive life.
• No matter what your age, race, religion, or income is, a mental health can affect you. Just like asthma, allergies, or heart disease, it is simply a medical condition.
• 50% of the dreams you had in your sleep are forgotten from short term memory within 5 minutes of waking up.

Myth: People with mental health illnesses are usually violent and unpredictable.
Fact: People with a mental illness are more likely to be a victim of violence.
Myth: People with mental health problems don't experience discrimination

Myth: It’s easy for young people to talk to friends about their feelings.
Fact: Nearly three in four young people fear the reactions of friends when they talk about their mental health problems.

More than two-thirds of Americans who have a mental illness live in the community and lead productive lives.

Mental illnesses can affect people of any age, race, religion, or income. It is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functioning.

Autism Is Linked To Seizures. Historically it was misunderstood. In the past, it was considered at different times a type of schizophrenia and the result of neglectful parents, A lifelong developmental disability affecting how you communicate and interact with other people. Around 700,000 people in the UK have autism. Together with their families they make up around 2.8 million people whose lives are touched by autism every single day.

According to mentalhealth.gov, productivity of employees is not affected by mental health. Those suffering from mental conditions can work just like others, without any issues. Check the link below for some great myths and facts related to mental health issues.

A study has shown that people with low levels of a the stress-related gene were more likely to fall into depression, feel stress and anxiety.

About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14. Similar types of disorders are being reported across cultures. Neuropsychiatric disorders are among the leading causes of worldwide disability in young people. Yet, regions of the world with the highest percentage of population under the age of 19 have the poorest level of mental health resources. Most low- and middle-income countries have only one child psychiatrist for every 1 to 4 million people.

BY: World Health Organization