The rate of individuals 18 and older reporting any mental illness or serious mental illness in the past 12 months.
Mental illness can decrease one's ability to function in daily life and is the leading cause of disability in the United States.
In 2016-18, 4.8% of Berks County residents 18 and over reported mental illness, compared to 4.3% in 2014-16. The state rate was 4.4% from 2016-18 which increased from 2014-16, like Berks County.
The prevalence of mental illness in 2016-18 was smaller than Berks in Chester (3.8%), Lancaster (4.3%), Lehigh (4.1%) and Montgomery (3.8%). Berks and Schuylkill which are part of the same region had a rate of 4.8%. Lancaster and Lebanon which were part of the same region had a decrease in their percentage from 2014-16 to 2016-18.
"Serious mental illness" is defined as a mental illness that resulted in serious functional impairment in carrying out major life activities. Data come from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health sponsored by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA combined three years of responses to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates.
For this indicator, the counties were defined by the "2016-2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health." Counties are grouped into substate regions and are regional estimates. The substate region referred to as Regions 4, 11, 37, and 49 is made up of the following counties: Berks, Carbon, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne. The substate region referred to as Regions 19, 26, 28, and 42 is made up of the following counties: Adams, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York.
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| 2008-10 | 2010-12 | 2012-14 | 2014-16 | 2016-18 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 4.7% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 4.1% | |
| Pennsylvania | 4.5% | 4.1% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| Berks County | 4.5% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Berks County Regions | |||||
| Central | |||||
| Northeast | |||||
| South | |||||
| Southeast | |||||
| West | |||||
| Reading city | |||||
| Berks County Peers | |||||
| Chester County | 4.3% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.8% |
| Lancaster County | 4.6% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Lebanon County | 4.6% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Lehigh County | 4.1% | 4.3% | 4.0% | 3.6% | 4.1% |
| Montgomery County | 4.3% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.8% |
| Schuylkill County | 4.5% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| INDICATORS | TREND | BERKS COUNTY |
|---|---|
| Health Status | Not Applicable |
| People Enrolled in Medicaid Managed Care |  Increasing |
| People Without Health Insurance |  Decreasing |
| Physically Inactive Adults | Not Applicable |
| Adults Who are Overweight or Obese | Not Applicable |
| Students in 7-12 Overweight or Obese | Not Applicable |
| Cancer Incidence | Decreasing |
| Students in K-6 Overweight or Obese | Not Applicable |
| Prevalence of Mental Illness |  Maintaining |
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