Mental Health Facts, Stats, and Data
Mental Health America is committed to promoting mental health as a critical part of overall wellness. We advocate for prevention services for all, early identification and intervention for those at risk, integrated services, care and treatment for those who need it, and recovery as the goal.
We believe that gathering and providing up-to-date data and information about disparities faced by individuals with mental health problems is a tool for change.
Key Findings
- 1 in 5 Adults have a mental health condition. That's over 40 million Americans; more than the populations of New York and Florida combined.
- Youth mental health is worsening. Rates of youth with severe depression increased from 5.9% in 2012 to 8.2% in 2015. Even with severe depression, 76% of youth are left with no or insufficient treatment
- More Americans have access to services... Access to insurance and treatment increased, as healthcare reform has reduced the rates of uninsured adults. The greatest decrease in uninsured Adults with mental illnesses was seen in states that expanded Medicaid.
- ...But most Americans still lack access to care. 56% of American adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment. Even in Maine, the state with the best access, 41.4% of adults with a mental illness do not receive treatment.
- There is a serious mental health workforce shortage. In states with the lowest workforce, there is up 6 times the individuals to only 1 mental health professional. This includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, and psychiatric nurses combined.
Mental Health in America 2018
- Ranking Overview and Key Findings
- Ranking Guidelines
- Ranking the States - Results of Overall, Adult, Youth, Prevalence, and Access to Care Rankings
- Adult Data - Adult Prevalence and Access Data
- Youth Data - Youth Prevalence and Access Data
- Prevalence Data - How many adults and youth have a mental health or substance use problem in America?
- Access to Care Data - How many adults and youth have access to insurance and mental health treatment in America?
- Glossary and Citations - For Indicators & Positive and Poor Outcomes
- Spotlight: MHA Depression Screenings
- Download a Printable Report
The State of Mental Health in America
In the above links you will find a Collection of Data across all 50 states and the District of Columbia answering the following questions:
- How many adults and youth have mental health issues?
- How many adults and youth have substance use issues?
- How many adults and youth have access to insurance?
- How many adults and youth have access to adequate insurance?
- How many adults and youth have access to mental health care?
- Which states have higher barriers to accessing mental health care?
Our Goal:
- To provide a snapshot of mental health status among youth and adults for policy and program planning, analysis, and evaluation;
- To track changes in prevalence of mental health issues and access to mental health care;
- To understand how changes in natinoal data reflect the impact of legislation and policies; and.
- To increase dialogue and improve outcomes for individuals and families with mental health needs
Why Gather this Information?
- Using national survey data allows us to measure a community’s mental health needs, access to care, and outcomes regardless of the differences between the states and their varied mental health policies.
- Rankings explore which states are more effective at addressing issues related to mental health and substance use.
- Analysis may reveal similarities and differences among states in order to begin assessing how federal and state mental health policies result in more or less access to care.