There are many common misuses or misconceptions about mental illness that cause stigma. Quite often, the fear of that stigma prevents someone from getting the help he or she may need. Test your mental health knowledge with the following quiz. Click on myth or fact for each of these statements and see if you know the correct answer. Pass the quiz along to others to help do your part in eliminating the stigma of mental illness.

Answers

1. Myth. Mental illnesses are treatable diseases. With proper treatment, the majority people of with a mental illness can recover and go on to lead healthy, productive lives. Long-term research has shown that the majority of people being treated for a mental illness show improvement with the help of treatment and maintain stable lives. There are many types of treatment available to individuals who suffer from a mental illness, such as medications, therapy and rehabilitation.

2. Fact. With the onset of puberty, a female's risk of developing depression increases dramatically – twice that of males. Studies show that women may be more prone to depression because of changes in hormone levels that occur throughout a woman's life. However, with treatment, more than 80 percent of people with depressive disorders recover and go on to lead healthy, productive lives.

3. Fact. A continuous lack of sleep – too few hours for too many nights – can lead to depression. The good news is there are many successful treatment options available for depression and sleep disorders.

4. Myth. The average age when kids first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls. A recent Primary Prevention Attitude and Use Survey showed that 38% of high schools students perceived "It's OK to use" messages about alcohol from their friends.

5. Myth. It is not normal for older adults to be depressed. Depression in the elderly is often undiagnosed, and it is important for older adults and their family members to recognize the problem and seek professional help.

6. Myth. Drug addiction is a brain disease. Every type of drug of abuse has its own individual mechanism for changing how the brain functions. But regardless of which drug a person is addicted to, many of the effects it has on the brain are similar: they range from changes in the molecules and cells that make up the brain, to mood changes, to changes in memory processes and in such motor skills as walking and talking.

7. Fact. Many people in recovery are outstanding employees precisely because they have faced obstacles and overcome enormous challenges. All jobs are stressful to some extent. Anybody is more productive when there's a good match between the employee's needs and the working conditions, whether or not the worker has a mental health problem. In addition, research has proven that incorporating employment into the mental health/substance abuse treatment process plays a key role in the person's successful recovery.

8. Myth. A report from the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health showed that in any given year, five to nine percent of children experience serious emotional disturbances. Just like adult mental illnesses, these are clinically diagnosable health conditions that are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.

9. Fact. People with a mental illness are no more violent than any other group. In fact, they are far more likely to be the victims of violence than to be violent themselves.

10. Myth. Depression is a real medical condition, just like heart disease and diabetes, with numerous biological influences and consequences.