From Rethink.org
1 in 6 people has a common mental illness at some point in their life (Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, 2000).
About 1% of the population experience schizophrenia at some point in their lives (Mental Health Foundation, 1999).
About 1% of the population experience manic depression at some point in their lives (Mental Health Foundation, 1999).
1 in 200 people have experienced a psychotic illness in the last year (Singleton, Psychiatric Morbidity, 2000).
The average age of onset of psychotic symptoms is 22 (Department of Health, 2001)
Deprived areas and rural districts have the highest levels of mental health problems and suicides (ONS, 2001).
People from Afro-Caribbean backgrounds are 3-5 times more likely than others to be diagnosed and admitted to hospital for schizophrenia. (Mental Health Foundation, 1999)
About 25% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia will make a full recovery; about 60% of people will have fluctuating symptoms; about 10-15% of people experience long term incapacity (Mental Health Foundation, 1999).
35% of people with mental illness are unemployed but want to work (ONS, 2003), the highest want to work rate of any disability.
Only 1 in 4 employers said that they would knowingly employ someone with a history of mental illness (Manning et al, 1995).
Three quarters of employers say that it would be difficult or impossible to employ someone diagnosed with schizophrenia (DWP, 2003).
Less than 5% of people who kill a stranger have symptoms of mental illness (Department of Health, 2001).
People with mental illness are more likely to be the victims than the perpetrators of violence (Walsh, 2003).
More than 1 in 4 people with severe mental illness report being shunned when seeking help (Rethink, 2003).
30% of GPs’ time is spent with people with mental health problems (Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (Maudsley Monograph, 2002).
44% of people with mental health problems report discrimination from general practioners, such as physical health problems not being taken seriously (Mental Health Foundation, 2002).
Almost 80% of carers for someone with a severe mental illness say that caring has had an impact on own their mental health (Rethink, 2003).
Almost 80% of carers for someone with a severe mental illness say that caring has had an impact on their own physical health (Rethink, 2003).
Only 48% of mental health professionals know about local policies on sharing information with carers (Rethink/IoP, 2006).
Mental health problems cost the economy untold billions per year through care costs, economic losses and premature death. (Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2003).
21% of people with schizophrenia have a dual diagnosis (Cantwell, 2003).
Up to half of people dependent on alcohol have a mental health problem (Turning Point, 2003).
People with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder die 10 years younger due to physical health problems (British Journal of Psychiatry, 2000) and have double the average rate of heart disease (British Journal of Psychiatry, 2006) and five times the average rate of diabetes (Department of Health, 2004).
People with severe mental illness smoke twice as much as average, do half as much exercise and eat less fruit and vegetables than average (Running on empty report, 2005).
January 19th, 2011 at 7:52 pm
Speaking as a descendant of two brothers who were committed in 1896 by their mother after their father died – she remarried and listed herself a friend. She lied on the committment forms among other things that the boys had no education yet they are listed as classmates with my great grandmother.The institution apparently took anyone and everyone without verification of information. The committment papers state epilepsy. The court papers state that they were “insane” A letter was submitted to the judge by a citizen paid by the county of Jackson who wrote this “subject” is insane and he was able to verify this because he was a land owner.
The list of reasons for committment of other people during the same month as my g-granduncles were such things as religion, masturbation, and epilesy. My g-granduncles were listed as “idiots” rather than the initial reason of epilepsy. Now it turns out, the the younger brother died in 1906 making him one of the people whose bodies were exhumed and cremated. But the hospital has no idea of where the remains are. The older brother died in 1921, the hospoital’s excuse for not knowing where his remains are is that he was transfered to the institution for the feeble minded. However his death certificate clearly shows that he was picked up from Oregon State Hospital Crematory by W.J. Rigdon & Sons undertakers in Salem. The hospital has no idea of where his remains are either. There is simply no excuse for the institution’s violations of all civil liberties to the patients or the families would have demanded their family’s remains.It is beyond belief that the Federal Government has not filed criminal charges against the hospital after the discovery of thousands of copper urns containing remains of people who died at this Nazi-like institution. If the hospital exhibits this level of disrespect for the dead I can imagine what they did to them when they were alive. The people need to make an example of this institution to ensure it never happens again.
February 9th, 2011 at 11:22 am
My Grandfather died in Hawthorne mental hospital in the late 20′s in Portland, Oregon. How do I get a death certificate?