Today, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Dr. María Félix-Ortiz's column in the San Antonio Express-News presents a series of true/false questions to test your knowledge about mental illness. Can you answer these questions correctly?
Mental illness is the 10th leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. True or False?
False. Mental illness is the second leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. By 2020, depression will be the leading cause of disability worldwide.
One in 4 of us will need to use mental health services at one point or another in our lives. T or F?
True. No one is immune from mental health problems; some problems are minor and quickly addressed, while others are more challenging, and some are lifelong struggles requiring ongoing medication, therapy and community support.
Schizophrenia is split personality. T or F?
False. It is a disorder of thought, emotion and perception; it is not multiple personality disorder. We call that "Dissociative Identity Disorder."
Treatments for mental illness are ineffective. T or F?
False. Mental-health services and treatment have come a long way. Treatments are effective for 70 percent to 90 percent of people who have mental illness.
Bipolar disorder is always obvious, and easy to diagnose. T or F?
False. On average, an individual with bipolar disorder will go about 10 years before getting an accurate diagnosis. About two-thirds go without adequate treatment.
Read the column in its entirety.
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1 comment:
Excellent questions. Knowledge of these facts go a long way toward understanding, which will then lead to awareness and acceptance. I have been BiPo for most of my adult life, and if my employer was to find this out, my career would be over. The more people know, the closer we might get to the healing that we need.
Bravo!
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