50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and 3/4 begin by age 24.
50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24. 10% of children and young people (aged 5 to 16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem3, yet 0% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
Over 75% of mental health issues occur before the age of 25,1 while suicide continues to cause the largest loss of life of young people in Australia2. It's never too early to start looking after your mental health and wellbeing so you can be the best version of yourself.
One-half of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14; three-quarters by the age of 24.
One in five children suffers from a mental health or learning disorder, and 80% of chronic mental disorders begin in childhood. There is an urgent need to identify the signs of these conditions early in life if children are to get the care and support they need to thrive.
75% of mental illnesses start before a child reaches their 18th birthday, while 50% of mental health problems in adult life (excluding dementia) take root before the age of 15.
3 in 4 people with a mental illness develop symptoms before age 25.
Half of mental health conditions in adults start before the age of 14 and 75% before the age of 24.
About 70% of mental health challenges have their onset in childhood or youth. That's why early identification and intervention is so critical and can lead to improved achievement in school and better health outcomes in life.
It is estimated that 20% of people age 55 years or older experience some type of mental health concern (6). The most common conditions include anxiety, severe cognitive impairment, and mood disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorder) (6).
Prevalence of Any Mental Illness (AMI)
The prevalence of AMI was higher among females (27.2%) than males (18.1%). Young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence of AMI (33.7%) compared to adults aged 26-49 years (28.1%) and aged 50 and older (15.0%).
Importantly, whereas cognitive capacity reached adult levels around age 16, psychosocial maturity reached adult levels beyond age 18, creating a “maturity gap” between cognitive and psychosocial development.
Half of all lifetime cases of mental disorders begin by age 14,1 and about 1 in 4 adolescents experience mental disorders that result in severe impairment.
It is estimated that 3.6% of 10-14 year-olds and 4.6% of 15-19 year-olds experience an anxiety disorder. Depression is estimated to occur among 1.1% of adolescents aged 10-14 years, and 2.8% of 15-19-year-olds. Depression and anxiety share some of the same symptoms, including rapid and unexpected changes in mood.
One half of all serious adult psychiatric disorders start by age 14 years, but treatment often does not begin for 6–23 years after onset 4. Anxiety and mood disorders are two to three times more prevalent in female adolescents than in male adolescents, although the reverse is true for attention deficit disorder.
75% of mental illnesses start before a child reaches their 18th birthday, while 50% of mental health problems in adult life (excluding dementia) take root before the age of 15.
By age 40, about 50% of the population will have or have had a mental illness.
While you still have a lot to learn, you probably feel like the development process is over. Mentally, however, as a young adult, you're still not fully grown. Young adults, aged 18 to 29, are still experiencing cognitive development, and this is one of the reasons why mental illness can present at this time of life.
It also estimates that over 1 in 5 (21%) of the population experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months (about 4.2 million people).
From the 2021 NSMHWB (ABS 2022a) it is estimated that: Over 2 in 5 (44%) Australians aged 16–85 had experienced a mental disorder during their lifetime. 1 in 5 (21%) people who had experienced a mental disorder in their lifetime had symptoms in the 12 months before the survey interview.
Visit NIMH's Help for Mental Illness page, also available in Spanish, for more details and to identify treatment options in your area. Many adolescents experience positive mental health, but an estimated 49.5 percent of adolescents has had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.
Being exposed to a multitude of opinions (on TV and online) Being exposed to aggressive behavior (a dramatic rise in child abuse, adult abuse, sexual abuse, etc.) Poor/reduced sleep. Increased financial pressure on parents.
Half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14.
In most people with schizophrenia, symptoms generally start in the mid- to late 20s, though it can start later, up to the mid-30s. Schizophrenia is considered early onset when it starts before the age of 18. Onset of schizophrenia in children younger than age 13 is extremely rare.