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Our society is experiencing a growing population of individuals who experience mental health challenges. With the National Alliance on Mental Illness reporting that one in four adults in the US, approximately 61.5 million, experience mental illness each year there is an increasingly critical need for qualified mental health professionals.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 26.2 percent of American adults experience mental illness–that is one in every four adults or around 60 million people. This number is predicted to rise, and scholars have formed their own conclusions about the causes behind the growing number of those who suffer from these symptoms. Many agree that the combination of biological predispositions and ever-changing environmental stressors are increasing distress among Americans. The result is a growing population of individuals who are suffering.

There are more than 200 recognized forms of mental illness; some of the most common types of mental health issues affecting Americans today are:

* Mood Disorders –20.9 million Americans

* Major Depressive Disorders – 14.8 million Americans

* Bipolar Disorder – 5.7 million Americans

* Anxiety – 40 million Americans

* Panic disorder – 6 million Americans

* Obsessive-Compulsive–Disorder 2.2 million Americans

* Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – 7.7 million Americans

* Agoraphobia – 1.8 million Americans