A recent report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (SAMHSA) recently found that 1 in 5 Americans in the US reported experiencing some form of mental illness in the past year.  Among the group, which included a sample size of 45.9 American adults 18 years and older, those who were between the ages of 18-25 reported twice as many cases of mental illness as other age groups, suggesting that mental illness continues to be a continuing health concern for the country.  According to Ileana Arias, Ph.D., the Principle Deputy Director of the CDC, “Today’s report issued by SAMHSA provides further evidence that we need to continue efforts to monitor levels of mental illness in the United States in order to effectively prevent this important public health problem and its negative impact on total health.”

At the treatment center in Michigan, the Birmingham Maple Clinic provides professional treatment for the most prevalent mental health conditions found in the US today, including anxiety and depression, sleep and eating disorders and substance abuse.   As reported by the clinic’s spokesperson, Lori Edelson, “As evidenced by the recent SAMHSA report, mental illness continues to be an important issue in the US.  At our Michigan treatment center, we are working on bringing those numbers down and educating more Americans on the dangers of leaving mental health conditions untreated. ”

The SAMHSA report noted that while mental illness is an important issue by itself, it is also associated with some of the biggest health problems that many American’s face today.  As reported by Arias, “Mental health is a significant public health problem in itself, but also because it is associated with chronic  medical diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer, as well as several physical behaviors including physical inactivity, smoking, excessive drinking, and insufficient sleep.”

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