Why more than 20% of US people experience mental illness

Every year, an increasing number of American people suffer from some sort of mental disease. In 2019, approximately 20% of the American population, or roughly 50 million people, were diagnosed with a mental disorder. That figure is based on data acquired before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has thrown a whole new group of strains on the US population. Illness, unemployment, solitude, increased medical expenditures, and financial uncertainty are among the new stressors.

The value of mental health data

To properly understand mental health in the United States, a strong dataset is required. We must be completely aware because, to be honest, the statistics are concerning. Every day, one in every five Americans battles with mental health concerns. Half of all American adults (approximately 27 million people) suffer from mental illness without receiving treatment. Major depressive illness affects 10.6 percent of American kids. These are the most vulnerable members of our population and the future of civilization. These young people are the most vulnerable in our population and the future of society. These statistics show that mental illness is a widespread problem in the United States. Almost everyone in the country has been affected by it at some point in their lives, if not through their own personal struggles with these issues, then through those close to them.

Any ailment that affects 50 million Americans or more deserves to be scrutinized so that it can be addressed at its source. This is especially true in the case of mental health, when the consequences can be considerable. (1)

How Does Mental Illness Affect a Person?

Mental illness, particularly untreated illnesses, frequently has far-reaching consequences for people beyond their emotional or immediate mental capacities. Overall health, as well as one’s capacity to excel in career and school, might suffer.

• Depressed people are 40% more likely to develop heart disease, which is one of the main causes of mortality in the United States.

• People suffering from mental illnesses are significantly more prone to continue smoking. This, in turn, causes a slew of additional physical health problems.

• Over a third of persons diagnosed with a mental disorder abuse substances, which has far-reaching physical repercussions.
• Individuals suffering from mental illness are significantly more likely to have sleep-related issues including sleep apnea and insomnia.

• There is a clear correlation between those suffering from mental illness and those suffering from chronic ailments including cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.

A considerable fraction of the population in the United States struggles with their mental health on a daily basis. Many of these Americans are suffering from a lack of care, and as a result, they are experiencing the full impact of their sickness on themselves, their families, and their community.

Current developments in minority, low-income, and juvenile populations are particularly concerning. These groups are more likely to exhibit signs of mental illness, to report suicidal ideation, to be jailed, and to engage in drug misuse. (2)

Is aging a disease?

David Sinclair, PhD, a genetics professor at Harvard Medical School and one of the world’s foremost authorities on aging and lifespan, believes so. His new book, “Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have to,” delves into the most recent studies on longevity and anti-aging treatments. After hearing Sinclair on a podcast, I was eager to read this book.

Science behind longevity thinks that aging is an illness that can be treated in our lifetimes. According to Sinclair, there is just one reason humans age: knowledge loss. The most significant loss happens in the epigenome, which is the expression of genetic information that tells freshly differentiated cells what to be. Aging is analogous to the collection of scratches on a DVD, which renders the content unreadable. A cell’s identity changes whenever there is a drastic alteration in the epigenome, such as after DNA damage from the sun. Sinclair contends that the loss of epigenetic information is the cause of aging.

• Fertility and NAD: the NAD booster NMN has been proven to restore fertility in mice that have had “mousopause.” Sinclair believes that we are on the verge of a future in which women will be able to keep fertility for far longer periods of their lives and potentially retrieve it if it is lost. Longevity compounds such as NMN and metformin have been demonstrated to promote both female and male fertility.

• Fasting: there is a strong correlation between fasting and longevity in Blue Zones such as Ikaria, Greece, where one-third of the population lives past the age of 90.

• Exercise: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) activates the most health-promoting genes. This entails hitting 70-85% of your maximal heart rate. Exercise activates the genes that make us young again at the cellular level, lengthening telomeres and increasing mitochondrial function.