From time to time you may wonder: Where did the time go? Whether you’re perplexed by how quickly the day has flown by or reflecting on the years that have passed at lightning speed, you’ve probably experienced the occasional feeling of lost time. However, 44% of Americans believe they have lost time in their lives due to a known culprit: poor mental health.
Among people diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety, that percentage nearly doubles to 78%.
That’s according to a new national survey conducted by Myriads of geneticsdubbed GeneSight Mental health monitor. In February, the genetic testing company ACUPOLL Precision Research surveyed 1,000 American adults about their mental health. The results, published in April, show the chronological incidence of mental illness.
Among respondents diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety, 50% said they had lost years of their life due to poor mental health, and 12% said they had lost decades.
“For a patient who is struggling, time moves much slower than for the rest of us.” Debbie Thomas, EdDmental health nurse practitioner from Prospect, Kentucky, told GeneSight. news release. “One of my patients told me that when they woke up in the morning, they would count how many hours were left before they could go back to sleep. It’s very telling when someone is so deeply depressed and anxious.”
Many people have reported that poor mental health has robbed them of not only time, but also important moments. Some 71% of respondents said it prevented them from being fully present during important events, and more than half of people with depression and/or anxiety said they had missed an important life event due to their mental health. Respondents with these conditions said that they felt guilty, hopeless, worthless, useless, and/or self-critical when missing milestones.
In addition, 33% of respondents with depression and/or anxiety cited ineffective mental health treatment as a reason for missing important events.
The vast majority of people with depression and/or anxiety (82%) said their mental health had prevented them from having fun or pleasure in the past year, compared to 78% of all respondents.
Patients with depression and/or anxiety tend to be as upset about lost time due to poor mental health as they are about their mental illness. Sharon Philbin, MSNAdvanced Practice Registered Nurse in Pawtucket, RI.
“Patients who have lost time due to depressive episodes or periods of anxiety often experience a sense of loss, which further complicates their mental health situation,” Philbin said in a press release. “Many of my patients say they are grateful to feel better, but are worried it will happen again.”
Only 16% of survey respondents said they felt “ready to take on the world” after a depressive episode. They also feel:
- Exhausted: 60%
- Coming out of the fog: 50%
- Disappointed that I missed out on life: 47%
The survey was based on respondents self-reporting that they had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety by a health care provider. Although the surveys included mental health screening tools— Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) from depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-2 (GAD-2) for anxiety – it is unclear what types of these disorders the respondents had.
If you need urgent mental health care, contact 988 Suicide and Crisis Helpline.
More information on mental health:
Sign up for Well Adapted, our newsletter full of simple strategies to work smarter and live better, from the Fortune Well team. Register free today.