Conditions and treatments

Common adult mental health conditions

The most common mental health conditions to affect adults in England are:

• mixed anxiety depressive disorder : a condition where a person experiences the symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is estimated that this condition affects 1 in 10 adults in any given year.
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD):  a condition where a person experiences persistent and severe feelings of anxiety. It is estimated that GAD affects 1 in 20 adults each year.
• episodes of moderate to severe depression: depression is estimated to affect 1 in 40 adults a year
• phobias: an extreme, or irrational, fear (eg.a fear of heights or animals). Phobias are estimated to affect 1 in 40 adults a year.
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): a condition where a person experiences obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. OCD is estimated to affect 1 in 75 adults a year.
• panic disorders (also known as panic attacks): these are estimated to affect 1 in 80 adults a year.

Complex adult mental health conditions are generally less common than the mental health conditions that are mentioned above.

However, they can have a greater impact on the quality of a person’s life and can be more challenging to treat.

Complex mental health conditions

Complex mental health conditions include:

• schizophrenia
• bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression)
• post traumatic stress disorder
• anorexia and bulimia
• personality disorders

Personality disorders are a range of conditions that affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. Most people with personality disorders find it difficult to deal with other people

Other uses of mental services

There are a range of other conditions that can often benefit from the input of mental health services. These include:

• autistic spectrum disorder
• dementia
• drug and alcohol dependency
• stroke. Many people who are recovering from a stroke experience symptoms of anxiety and depression

Mental health in children and young people

Children and young people also experience mental health problems.

It is estimated that 1 in every 10 children and young people who are between 5-16 years of age are diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Mental health conditions that are known to affect children and young people include:

• anxiety
• depression
• Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• anorexia and bulimia