About half of all mental illnesses appear before the age of 14, and 75 percent develop by age 24. The current understanding of mental illness among medical professionals is that a complex combination of genetics, environment, and family history can put a person at greater risk for a mental illness.
Women between the ages of 16 and 24 are almost three times as likely (26%) to experience a common mental health issue as males of the same age (9%). Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety as men. 25.7% of women and 9.7% of men aged 16 to 24 report having self-harmed at some point in their life.
50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24. 10% of children and young people (aged 5-16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem3, yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.
At What Age Is Depression Most Common? According to CDC data from 2019, 21% of adults experiencing any depressive symptoms in the most recent two weeks were between 18 and 29 years old. This incidence is the largest among all adult age groups.
It found that, among Australians aged 16–85, 15% experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress. Females aged 16–34 were more likely to experience psychological distress than males of this age group (26% compared to 14%) (ABS 2022a). Refer to the data visualisation for more detail.
Severe childhood physical or sexual abuse, childhood emotional and physical neglect, and severe life stress are probably all risk factors. Losing a parent early in life probably also increases risk to some extent.
Having blood relatives who have had depression. Experiencing traumatic or stressful events, such as physical or sexual abuse, the death of a loved one, or financial problems. Going through a major life change‚ even if it was planned. Having a medical problem, such as cancer, stroke, or chronic pain.
Depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, it is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from depression. Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. More women are affected by depression than men.
Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million American adults every year. Anxiety disorders also affect children and teens. About 8% of teens ages 13 to 18 have an anxiety disorder, with symptoms starting around age 6. Women are more than twice as likely as men to get an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.
This risk exists independent of race or ethnicity. One large-scale 2017 study found that these gender differences emerge starting at age 12, with girls and women being twice as likely as men to experience depression.
Females reported a higher proportion of mental or behavioural conditions (23%) than males (17%). Overall, those aged 15–24 years had the highest proportion of mental or behavioural conditions (28%) while those aged 0–14 years had the lowest (13%).
One in five Australian adults experience a mental illness every year. About 45 per cent of Australian adults will be affected by mental illness at some time in their life. Anxiety, mood disorders (such as depression) and substance use disorders are the most common mental illnesses experienced by Australian adults.
Mental illness is very common. One in five (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year. The most common mental illnesses are depressive, anxiety and substance use disorder. These three types of mental illnesses often occur in combination.
A good risk assessment will combine consideration of psychological (e.g. current mental health) and social factors (e.g. relationship problems, employment status) as part of a comprehensive review of the patient5 to capture their care needs and assess their risk of harm to themselves or other people.
The most common are anxiety disorders major depression and bipolar disorder.
Previous research has shown that later-born children aged 7–12 years in the US have been found to have a higher level of depression and anxiety (5). A population-based study in the UK has shown that later-born adolescents are more likely to have suicide attempts and psychiatric problems (6).
Mental illness can strike anyone at any time in their life. In fact, more than 350 million people across the world – of all ages and from all communities – suffer from depression. But half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Half of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 1 in every 5 Americans is currently living with a mental illness. Of those, the three most common diagnoses are anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
According to the World Health Organization, people with severe mental health disorders have a 10–25-year reduction in life expectancy. Schizophrenia mortality rates are between 2 and 2.5 times those in the general population, while individuals with depression have a 1.8 times higher risk of premature mortality.