Psychological disorders are a leading cause of disability and death, ranked second after heart disease (Murray & Lopez, 1996). About half of all Americans will likely develop at least one of 30 common psychological disorders, such as those related to depression, anxiety, or substance abuse, over the course of their lives; in half of the cases, symptoms will begin by age 14 (Kessler, Berglund, et al., 2005). Those born more recently have a higher likelihood of developing a psychological disorder than those born earlier (Kessler, Berglund, et al., 2005). Within a given year, about 25% of Americans experience a diagnosable or diagnosed mental disorder; of these cases, almost one quarter are severe (Kessler, Chiu, et al., 2005). Disadvantaged ethnic groups—Hispanics and Blacks—do not have a higher risk than others for psychological disorders overall (Breslau et al., 2005). |