We have previously discussed studies showing high levels of mental illness in the United States. Now a Europeans shows a similarly high rate with “almost 165 million people or 38 percent of the population suffering each year from a brain disorder such as depression, anxiety, insomnia or dementia.” What is interesting is that the rate is higher in Europe as compared to the U.S. study cited earlier. The European study however appears to be broader in considering neurological conditions associated with illnesses like stroke.
The U.S. study found roughly 30 percent of Americans suffered from mental illness.
Hans Ulrich Wittchen, director of the institute of clinical psychology and psychotherapy at Germany’s Dresden University and the lead investigator on the European study, warns that Europe is not spending enough to deal with this huge crisis in health care.
The three-year study covered 30 European countries — the 27 European Union member states plus Switzerland, Iceland and Norway — and a population of 514 million people.
The four most common conditions were depression, dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, alcohol dependence and stroke. A study in 2005 was closer to the U.S. finding: showing 27 percent of the EU adult population was suffering from mental illnesses.
Source: Yahoo
I read that in two years there will be no more Asperger’s patients. They won’t be cured. Their diagnosis will just be dropped.
Some years ago, Social Security stopped paying “alcoholics,” because it relabeled “alcoholism” as “addictive personality.”
I don’t have much faith in either the European or American studies. Woosty’s link was right on target. The DSM IV is a political, rather than scientific document and the definitions of what is referred to as “mental illness” are far to fluid and too broad.
“The U.S. study found roughly 30 percent of Americans suffered from mental illness.”
Present company excepted, that could be inferred by reading the exchanges between forum posters.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I’m a schizophrenic,
And so am I.
Roco,
Sorry not to respond sooner. I was away from the computer most of the afternoon.
*****
“One could assume that. But I dont think they get any better health care in Europe than we do here.”
I wasn’t making a comparison. People live longer in this country today too–as compared to several decades ago. In countries where people have a lower life expectancy, one will probably find fewer people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and people who are stroke victims.
I’m waiting for some right-winger to say that, since there are so many socialists over there, it must be true…..
lottakatz,
🙂 … Yep, plenty of mentally ill right here in America…, including the sociopaths…
(“The Sociopath Next Door” by Martha Stout is a must-read…)