The state of US mental health in 10 numbers

Several marks of progress in the mental health of Americans have been made in the last year, but work remains.

Here are 10 numbers offering an overview of mental health nationwide:

23.1%. The percentage of adults nationwide who experienced mental illness in a 12-month period, according to data from KFF. 

59.2 million. The number of adults who received mental health treatment in 2023 — representing 23% of the age group, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

19.7 million. The number of adults who receive mental health treatment via telehealth in 2023, according to SAMHSA.

48.5 million. The number of people ages 12 or older who had a substance use disorder in 2023 — 17.1% of the population, according to SAMHSA. 

12.8 million. The number of people age 12 or older who received substance use treatment in

the past year — 4.5% of the age group. 

5.7%. The percentage of adults who experienced a serious mental illness in 2023 representing 14.6 million people.

2.7 million. The number of people who felt they should have undergone mental health treatment in 2023 but did not receive it.

70.5%. The percentage of those with an unmet need for mental health treatment who said their reason for not not receiving treatment was that they thought they should have been able to handle their mental health, emotions, or behavior on their own — the most prevalent response. The second most common reason for not receiving treatment was thinking treatment would cost too much (59.8%).

8.3 million. The number of adolescents aged 12-17 who received mental health treatment in 2023 — about 31.9% of the group, according to SAMHSA data.

29.2%. The percentage of adults in Utah who experienced a mental illness in a yearlong period — making it the state with the highest prevalence of mental health problems in the U.S., according to the KFF data

40%. The percentage of high school students reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, down from 42% in 2021, according to CDC data.








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