Most mental illness hits early in life, with half of all cases starting by age 14, a survey of nearly 10,000 U.S. adults found. 

    Many cases begin with mild, easy-to-dismiss symptoms such as low-level anxiousness or persistent shyness, but left untreated, they can quickly escalate into severe depression, disabling phobias or clinical anxiety, said Ronald Kessler, a Harvard Medical School researcher involved in the study. 

    That so many cases begin in people so young — three-fourths start by age 24 — "is just staggering" and underscores the need for better efforts at early detection and treatment, Kessler said. 

    "These disorders have really become the chronic disorders of young people in America," said Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, which helped fund the research. 

    The findings, published in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, were based on face-to-face interviews conducted with people ages 18 and older in 2001 through 2003. 

    The new figures also show that the prevalence of mental illness nationwide has stabilized for the first time since the end of World War II, Kessler said. 

    About 46 percent of people surveyed said they had experienced a mental illness at some point in their lives, and about 26 percent said they had within the previous year — rates similar to those reported in a 1994 version of the survey. Before the earlier survey, rates had steadily increased since the mid-1940s, Kessler said.

    The previous increase was probably at least partly due to better detection and awareness, Kessler said.

    The overall prevalence rate is probably an underestimate because the study included only English-speaking adults and excluded rarer illnesses such as schizophrenia and autism.

    Most ailments were mild. Only about one-fifth of those who reported any mental disorder within the past year had a serious illness, meaning their daily activities were severely affected. 

    最近公布的一項對於1萬名美國成年人的調查結果顯示
，相當一部分精神病患者在年齡很小的時候便已出現相關症狀，其中一半病例的發病時間開始於14歲左右。 

    據美聯社6月7日報道，研究人員在2001年到2003年間對年齡不小於18歲的采樣人群進行了麵對麵的訪談，並將調查結論刊登在6月號的《普通精神病學文獻集》上。 

    調tiao查zha顯xian示shi，很hen多duo患huan者zhe的de最zui初chu症zheng狀zhuang輕qing微wei且qie易yi於yu擺bai脫tuo

，諸zhu如ru輕qing微wei的de焦jiao慮lv或huo持chi續xu性xing的de害hai羞xiu等deng，但dan如ru果guo不bu及ji時shi診zhen治zhi，它ta們men會hui迅xun速su發fa展zhan成cheng為wei嚴yan重zhong的de抑yi鬱yu情qing緒xu
、導致喪失行為能力的恐懼、臨床焦慮等。 

    參與此項調查的哈佛大學醫院研究員凱斯勒表示
，這麼多人在如此年輕的時候便開始發病——四分之三的患者在24歲之前便已表現出某些症狀——“這的確令人感到十分驚訝”
，同時也凸現出加強早期診斷和治療的必要性。 

    美國國家精神健康研究院院長托馬斯·因賽爾博士說："美國年輕人經曆的最初的心理失調已經真正演變成為慢性精神紊亂。" 

    約有46%的被調查者表示，他們都曾經在過去生活的某個階段遭遇過精神疾病的襲擊
，而大約26%的人則聲稱自己在最近一年中剛剛體驗過這種痛苦--該比例與1994年的調查結果相近。凱斯勒透露
，在更早以前，同類比例從上世紀40年代中期開始，一直呈穩定的上升態勢。 

    凱kai斯si勒le認ren為wei
，這zhe些xie新xin的de數shu字zi還hai表biao明ming，精jing神shen病bing在zai全quan美mei範fan圍wei內nei的de流liu行xing程cheng度du在zai二er戰zhan後hou首shou次ci趨qu於yu穩wen定ding。以yi前qian報bao告gao的de上shang升sheng趨qu勢shi或huo許xu應ying部bu分fen歸gui功gong於yu診zhen治zhi技ji術shu的de不bu斷duan進jin步bu。 

    zheciyanjiusuodechudejingshenbingzongliuxingbilihuoxubishijiqingkuangyaodiyixie，yinweiqitiaozhaduixiangzhibaokuolejiangyingyudechengnianren

，erqiehaipaichulenaxiehuanyoujiaoweihanjiandejingshenbing--比如精神分裂症和自閉症患者。

    大(da)部(bu)分(fen)精(jing)神(shen)病(bing)患(huan)者(zhe)的(de)日(ri)常(chang)表(biao)現(xian)是(shi)非(fei)常(chang)平(ping)和(he)的(de)。在(zai)那(na)些(xie)被(bei)認(ren)為(wei)處(chu)於(yu)某(mou)種(zhong)精(jing)神(shen)紊(wen)亂(luan)狀(zhuang)態(tai)的(de)人(ren)中(zhong)，隻(zhi)有(you)大(da)約(yue)五(wu)分(fen)之(zhi)一(yi)的(de)人(ren)在(zai)過(guo)去(qu)一(yi)年(nian)中(zhong)有(you)過(guo)劇(ju)烈(lie)的(de)精(jing)神(shen)病(bing)發(fa)作(zuo)，也(ye)就(jiu)是(shi)說(shuo)他(ta)們(men)的(de)日(ri)常(chang)生(sheng)活(huo)因(yin)精(jing)神(shen)原(yuan)因(yin)受(shou)到(dao)了(le)嚴(yan)重(zhong)影(ying)響(xiang)。