Three mental disorders and look up the incidence and prevalence of those disorders.

Which
mental disorders have the highest incidence and prevalence rates?

1. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD):

is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how a
person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.

● Incidence: The incidence of MDD varies widely across studies. It is estimated that
approximately 3-6% of the general population experiences a major depressive
episode each year.
● Prevalence: The prevalence of MDD also varies, with estimates ranging from 4-
20% worldwide. On average, it is estimated that about 8-10% of the population
will experience MDD at some point in their lives.
2. Anxiety Disorders:
Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness and involve
excessive fear or anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders
and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are
treatable and a number of effective treatments are available.
● Incidence: The incidence rates for anxiety disorders differ among specific types
(e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder).
Estimating the incidence of anxiety disorders as a whole is challenging. However,
it is generally believed that anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and frequently
diagnosed.
● Prevalence: The prevalence of anxiety disorders is relatively high. It is estimated
that around 15-20% of the population will experience an anxiety disorder during
their lifetime. Specific disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder and social
anxiety disorder, tend to have prevalence rates of around 5-10%.
3. Schizophrenia:
is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia
may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered
thinking and behavior that impairs daily functioning, and can be disabling. People with
schizophrenia require lifelong treatment.

● Incidence: The incidence of schizophrenia is lower than that of depression and

anxiety disorders. It is estimated that the incidence of schizophrenia is around 0.3-
0.7% per year.
● Prevalence: The prevalence of schizophrenia is approximately 1% of the global
population. This means that about 1 in 100 people may experience schizophrenia
at some point in their lives.
What is the difference between incidence and prevalence?
Incidence: Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a disease or condition that
develop within a specified time period in a population at risk. It focuses on the
occurrence of new cases and provides information about the risk of developing the
disease. Incidence is typically expressed as a rate, such as the number of new cases per
1,000 or 100,000 individuals per year. Incidence measures how quickly a disease is
spreading or appearing in a population.Prevalence, on the other hand, represents the total
number of existing cases of a disease or condition in a population at a given point in time.
It includes both new and old cases and provides an estimate of how widespread the
disease is within a population. Prevalence is usually expressed as a proportion or
percentage of the population affected by the disease. Prevalence helps in understanding
the overall burden of a disease in a population.

Submitted by:
Edward Llamoso
Jessa Mae Sumayang