October 10 is World Mental Health Day

No matter where you go on planet Earth — from Charlotte to Cherbourg or from Cape Town to Caracas, October 10th will be World Mental Health Day. Regardless of geography, the objective of the day’s observation will be raising awareness of mental illness and the ways in which people can get support.

No who you are or where you are, you know someone struggling with mental health issues. Depression is the most common, with 300 million people worldwide struggling with this leading cause of disability.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 260 million people around the world live with anxiety disorders, making it one of the leading causes of disability. Unsurprisingly, many people are living with both depression and anxiety disorders.

WHO said the combination of the two has a global price tag of $1 trillion per year in lost productivity.

In the United States, about one in four people will have at least one mental disorder in a 12-month period. Forty percent will experience mild symptoms, with another 37 percent struggling with moderate symptoms that include suicidal thoughts or gestures. Twenty-two percent will have serious symptoms such as a suicide attempt, substantial limitation in their work or a work disability.

As you go about your day, remember that according to statistics, one out of every four people you interact with today is dealing with a diagnostic mental illness. Some of them will at some point need to apply for Social Security disability benefits.

Experienced SSDI attorneys can help applicants navigate a complex system and paperwork.