The State of Mental Health in America report highlights the latest national data and provides state-level rankings on mental health and well-being in the U.S. Through this report, Mental Health America offers critical insights to drive policy, improve care, and support people living with mental health conditions across the country.
This report provides a snapshot of mental health status for policy and program planning, analysis, and evaluation.
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.
This report has been used to generate state needs assessments, inform policy decisions, and evaluate the impact of policy changes across the U.S. Policymakers can use the data to understand where existing policies and programs may be working and where additional resources may need to be allocated to improve mental health within their states.
Want to take action in your own community, but not sure where to start? Check out From Data to Action: Spotlight on Youth Mental Health Advocacy, created by Mental Health America’s Young Leaders Council (YLC). The YLC is a cohort of 10 young advocates, ages 18–25, from across the country. They are transforming mental health systems through youth-led initiatives, policy reform, and community organizing. In this Spotlight, the YLC bridges the gap between research and real change, offering tools and strategies to help turn your state’s rankings into local action that improves lives.
The prevalence of mental health concerns among adults has not changed from 2021 to 2024. In 2024, 23.40% of adults in the U.S. experienced any mental illness (AMI) in the past year, equivalent to over 60 million people.
Mental health among youth in the U.S. improved significantly from 2023 to 2024. The percentage of youth (ages 12-17) who experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year decreased from 18.10% in 2023 to 15.40% in 2024. The percentage of youth reporting serious thoughts of suicide also decreased, from 12.30% of youth in 2023 to 10.10% of youth in 2024.
But still, young people are struggling. In 2024, 11.30% of youth (ages 12-17) in the U.S. experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) with severe impairment in the past year, meaning it severely impacted their functioning at work, school, or home. That’s a total of 2.8 million youth.
Access to mental health care remains out of reach for millions of people in the U.S. who need it. 9.20% of adults with any mental illness (AMI) were uninsured in 2022 and 2023, totaling over 5 million people. 1 in 4 (25%) adults with AMI reported an unmet need for mental health treatment in 2022 and 2023.
Over 1 in 4 youth are lacking preventive care. 28.60% of adolescents (ages 12-17) did not have a preventive health visit in 2022 and 2023. That totaled over 7 million young people in the U.S.