Mental Health Awareness MonthIt’s an inevitable fact that many people are completely unaware of: You or someone you know is suffering from a behavioral health condition. In fact, one in four adults in the United States – roughly 57.7 million people – suffer from a mental conditions and may or may not be seeking help, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

These numbers are particularly significant during May when organizations, volunteers and others across the nation seek to bring better understanding to behavioral healthcare issues during Mental Health Awareness Month, now in its 65th year of bringing awareness to what has long been a stigmatic health crisis. And while many strides are being made in this effort, there is still much that is not known about behavioral healthcare itself.

Norix Furniture – a provider of furniture and other products that assist in the healing process and help humanize behavioral healthcare settings – would like to contribute to this cause and help elevate mental health awareness. Below we have listed 10 behavioral healthcare facts that the average person may not know.

Anorexia Nervosa – For females between 15-24 years of age, the death rate associated with this condition is 12 times higher than all of other causes of death, according to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder – Although many factors can contribute to this condition, someone is at increased risk of ADHD if their mother used drugs, alcohol or smoked during pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic. Additionally, mothers who were exposed to environmental poisons are at higher risks of having a child with ADHD.

Autism Spectrum Disorder – Among a sample group in a Center for Disease Control study, about one in 42 boys were identified as having this condition, compared to one in 168 girls.

Bullying – Being bullied as a child can lead to lower education scores and increased risks of depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety later in life, according to American Journal of Psychiatry study.

Correctional Facilities – Jails and prisons are home to 10 times the number of people with a serious mental illness than are state psychiatric hospitals, according to a Treatment Advocacy Center report.

Funding – Although mental health budgets decreased across the country during the recession, a National Alliance on Mental Illness report found that 37 states increased their mental health budgets while six decreased their budgets in 2013.

Major Depressive Disorder – In the United States, this condition is the leading cause of disability. It affects about 14.8 million adults and is more prevalent in women, according to NIMH.

Schizophrenia – According to PsychCentral, schizophrenia often is genetic. In fact, if one twin has the disorder, the other twin is 50 percent more likely to have schizophrenia.

Suicide – Each year, about 900,000 people around the world commit suicide. More than half are between the ages of 15-44, according to the World Health Organization.

Youth Prevention – “Promoting the social-emotional well-being of children and youth leads to” better education, decrease in crime, longer lifespan, lower health care costs, among other outcomes, according to MentalHealth.gov.

There are many other behavioral healthcare conditions and issues that deserve just as much attention as those that we have mentioned here. In an effort to help end the stigma attached to these conditions and to raise awareness regarding issues surrounding them, please feel free to leave any mental health facts in our comment section below that you would like to share with others.