One in five Americans suffers from a mental illness and one in 25 Americans suffers from a serious mental illness such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or recurring major depression. Despite the numbers, less than 60 percent of people with a mental illness don’t receive treatment for their condition, and nearly half of children ages 8 through 13 don’t either, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The reasoning behind the lack of treatment varies from person to person. These reasons can range from fears of being criticized and ostracized due to their mental illness or even due to personal misunderstandings about the effectiveness of treatment.