According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. It is estimated that only about 17% of U.S adults are considered to be in a state of optimal mental health.
Mental Illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, mood, feeling, and daily functioning.
It is also described as health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning. Depression is the most common type of mental illness, affecting more than 26% of the U.S. adult population. It has been estimated that by the year 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of disability throughout the world, trailing only ischemic heart disease.