Mental illness is more common than cancer, lung disease and heart disease combined - one reason why May has been designated Mental Health Month. Raising public awareness about mental health issues may help people recognize mental health problems earlier. Identifying these problems when they first appear may help to keep them from getting worse.
The number of youth diagnosed with mental illnesses is more significant than many people realize. Studies show that, at any given time, at least one in five children and adolescents may have a mental health problem, and the number of youth using psychiatric drugs is rising. The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reports that in a ten-year study of 900,000 youth, psychiatric drug use rose 2 to 3 times, to approximately 6 percent. Adding to the treatment options for youth, in January 2003, the Federal Drug Administration approved the drug Prozac to treat depression in youth.