Mental Illness: Getting Our Minds Around The Facts A recent survey by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) found that many people know little or almost nothing about the warning signs, causes and effective treatments for mental illnesses-even though in any given year, one in five Americans suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder. Each year, more people suffer from a mental illness than from cancer and diabetes combined. Research shows that mental illnesses are caused by genetic and environmental factors, traumatic events and other physical illnesses and injuries. Yet one-third of Americans mistakenly believe emotional or personal weakness is a major cause of common mental illnesses and almost as many think old age is a major cause. As a result, many…
