Through The Ages

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SOCIAL PHOBIAS Persistent fears of being watched, judged or embarrassed in situations like parties or performing in public. Affect men and women equally

BIPOLAR DISORDER About 2.3 million adult Americans are manic-depressive

PEAK SUICIDE YEARS Third leading cause of death among people 15 to 24. White males are at greatest risk

EARLY ADULTHOOD 20-30 yrs. By the late 20s, information processing begins to slow down. Memory centers in the hippocampus and frontal lobes seem most affected. However, this change is not usually noticeable until at least age 60

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION Hits 10% of new mothers

SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER Most sufferers are women

SCHIZOPHRENIA Affects about 1% of the U.S. population

MIDDLE AGE 30-60 yrs. Learning, memory, planning and other complex mental processes become more difficult, and reacting to stimuli takes longer. Plaques and tangles may form in certain brain regions

PARKINSON'S DISEASE More than 1 million Americans have it

HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE More than 250,000 Americans have HD or are at risk of inheriting it

EARLY-ONSET ALZHEIMER'S Just 5% to 10% of all Alzheimer's cases

MENOPAUSE Sudden mood swings, irritability, inability to cope, memory lapses

OLD AGE 60-100 yrs. Aging, depression, anxiety disorders and Alzheimer's may alter sleep patterns. The decline in cognitive abilities becomes more pronounced. Coordination and dexterity are also affected

STROKE Risk rises sharply after age 65

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Most common form of dementia among the elderly. Prevalence doubles every five years after age 65

PEAK SUICIDE YEARS People age 65 and older have higher suicide rates than any other age group. The rate among U.S. white men 85 and older is six times the national average

Dr. Jay Giedd, National Institute of Mental Health; Centers for Disease Control; Natl. Center for Health Statistics; Natl. Institute on Aging; Natl. Institute of Child Health & Human Development; Natl. Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; MEDLINEplus; infoaging.org American Psychiatric Association; American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; MayoClinic.com NAMI; Natl. Mental Health Association