Treatment FAQ

how many americans seek mental health treatment yearly?

by Mr. Bennett Breitenberg PhD Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Statistics Research shows that mental illnesses are common in the United States, affecting tens of millions of people each year. Estimates suggest that only half of people with mental illnesses receive treatment.

In 2020, among the 14.2 million adults with SMI, 9.1 million (64.5%) received mental health treatment in the past year.

Full Answer

What percentage of the US population receives mental health treatment?

In 2019, 19.2% of U.S. adults received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.

How common is mental health treatment among older adults?

The percentage of adults who had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months was lower among those aged 18–44 (18.5%) compared with adults aged 45–64 (20.2%) and 65 and over (19.4%).

How common are mental illnesses in the United States?

Research shows that mental illnesses are common in the United States, affecting tens of millions of people each year. Estimates suggest that only half of people with mental illnesses receive treatment.

Do Americans have adequate access to mental health care?

Ninety-seven percent of respondents considered access to mental health services "important," but only 70 percent feel they have adequate access to mental health care.

What percentage of Americans seek mental health treatment?

Summary. In 2019, 19.2% of U.S. adults received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.

What percentage of the US has mental health issues 2020?

Prevalence of Mental Illness 2020 19.00% of adults are experiencing a mental illness. Equivalent to over 47 million Americans. 4.55% are experiencing a severe mental illness. The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 16.14% in New Jersey to 25.25% in Utah.

How many people in the US will experience a mental health problem every year?

In the United States, almost half of adults (46.4 percent) will experience a mental illness during their lifetime. 5 percent of adults (18 or older) experience a mental illness in any one year, equivalent to 43.8 million people.

What are the statistics on mental illness?

An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older -- about 1 in 4 adults -- suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

What percentage of the US has mental health issues 2021?

19.00% of adults are experiencing a mental illness. Equivalent to over 47 million Americans. 4.55% are experiencing a severe mental illness. The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 16.14% in New Jersey to 25.25% in Utah.

What are the statistics of mental health 2022?

Adult Prevalence of Mental Illness (AMI) 2022 19.86% of adults are experiencing a mental illness. Equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans. 4.91% are experiencing a severe mental illness. The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 16.37% in New Jersey to 26.86% in Utah.

What is the depression rate in America 2022?

From April 27 to May 9, 2022, around 22 percent of U.S. adults reported symptoms of depressive disorder in the past week. This statistic shows the percentage of U.S. respondents over the age of 18 who reported symptoms of depressive disorder in the last seven days, between April 23, 2020 and May 9, 2022.

At what age does 50% of all lifetime mental ill health Begin and 75% by what age?

50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.

How many people with SMI received mental health treatment in 2019?

In 2019, among the 13.1 million adults with SMI, 8.6 million (65.5%) received mental health treatment in the past year. More females with SMI (70.5%) received mental health treatment than males with SMI (56.5%).

What is mental health services?

The NSDUH defines mental health services as having received inpatient treatment/counseling or outpatient treatment/counseling or having used prescription medication for problems with emotions, nerves, or mental health.

What is a serious mental illness?

Serious mental illness (SMI) is defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.

How many people have SMI in 2019?

In 2019, there were an estimated 13.1 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with SMI. This number represented 5.2% of all U.S. adults. The prevalence of SMI was higher among females (6.5%) than males (3.9%).

How many people have received mental health treatment in 2019?

In 2019, 19.2% of adults had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.

Which group of people was more likely to receive mental health treatment?

Women were more likely than men to have received any mental health treatment. Non-Hispanic white adults (23.0%) were more likely than non-Hispanic black (13.6%) and Hispanic (12.9%) adults to have received any mental health treatment.

How many people in the US have received mental health treatment?

adults who received mental health treatment or counseling within the previous year from 2002 to 2019. In 2019, it was estimated that around 40.2 million adults in the U.S. received mental health treatment or counseling at some time in the previous year.

What is mental health services?

Mental Health Services is defined as having received inpatient treatment/counseling or outpatient treatment/counseling or having used prescription medication for problems with emotions, nerves, or mental health. Respondents were not to include treatment for drug or alcohol use.

How many people with mental illness are not able to receive treatment?

Almost a quarter (22.3%) of all adults with a mental illness reported that they were not able to receive the treatment they needed. This number has not declined since 2011.

How many people with depression do not receive mental health care?

59% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. Youth experiencing MDE continue to go untreated. Even among the states with greatest access for youth, almost 50% of youth are still not receiving the mental health services they need.

How many people will be uninsured in 2020?

Adults with AMI who are Uninsured 2020. 10.3% (over 4.7 million) of adults with a mental illness remain uninsured. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the U.S. continues to see a decline in Americans who are uninsured.

What percentage of people have cognitive disabilities?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 11.4% of people in the United States had a cognitive disability, even when adjusted for age. 1 The percentage of people with cognitive disability ranged from 7.8 percent in some states to 19.1 percent. A 2017 study.

Which states have not expanded Medicaid?

Thirty-nine states saw a reduction in Adults with AMI who are uninsured. The largest reductions were seen in Louisiana (5.3%), New York (4.7%), Iowa (4.6%) and Arkansas (4.2%). Each of the bottom 17 states, with the exception of Louisiana, are states that have not expanded Medicaid.

How many people have mental health problems?

1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness. Almost 1 in 25 adults live with a serious mental illness. 50% of chronic mental illness start before 14 years of age. 75% of chronic mental illness start by age 24. Just over 10 million people over the age of 18 have more than 1 addiction or mental health disorder.

How many people believe mental health is equally important as physical health?

76% believe that their mental health is equally as important as their physical health. 52% of those in need of mental health care have tried to tough it out instead of seeking appropriate mental health care.

What is the leading cause of death for people over the age of 24?

Clinical depression (or major depression) Bipolar disorder (or manic depression) Diagnosable mental health conditions like substance abuse disorder or depressive disorders are common among individuals who commit suicide. For individuals from 15 to 24 years of age, suicide ranks as a leading cause of death.

Why is mental health important?

Good mental health is the cornerstone to being a complete and healthy individual, and raising awareness is crucial in the reduction of the stigma associated with mental health issues and mental health care.

How many families have taken advantage of mental health care?

Only 14% of families have taken advantage of mental health care because of issues related to the pandemic. Between the military and their families, over 50% have looked for mental health care. In other surveys about mental health care, the Cohen Veterans Network found that:

What are the different categories of mental health?

The main classifications are: AMI – Any Mental Illness.

When does depression start?

For those suffering with major depression, initial onset typically occurs in the mid 20s. Annually, 26% of adults in America are personally impacted by diagnosable mental disorder. Each year, anxiety disorders are found in roughly 18% of adults aged 18 to 54, and include: Phobias.

Key Findings

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Data from the National Health Interview Survey 1. In 2019, 19.2% of adults had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional. 2. Women were more lik…
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Women Were More Likely Than Men to Have Received Any Mental Health Treatment.

  1. Nearly one in four women received any mental health treatment (24.7%) in the past 12 months, compared with 13.4% of men (Figure 2).
  2. Women were more likely than men to have taken medication for their mental health (20.6% and 10.7%, respectively) and to have received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional (11.7%...
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Summary

  • In 2019, 19.2% of U.S. adults received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional. While the percentage of adults who had taken medication for their mental health increased with age,...
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Definitions

  • Any mental health treatment: A composite measure of adults who reported having taken medication for their mental health, received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional, or both in the past 12 months. Race and Hispanic origin: Adults categorized as Hispanic may be of any race or combination of races. Adults categorized as non-Hispanic white …
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Data Source and Methods

  • Data from the 2019 NHIS were used for this analysis. NHIS is a nationally representative household survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. It is conducted continuously throughout the year by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Interviews are conducted in respondents’ homes, but follow-ups to complete interviews may be conducted over the teleph…
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About The Authors

  • Emily P. Terlizzi and Benjamin Zablotsky are with the National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics.
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References

  1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Healthexternal...
  2. American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
  1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Healthexternal...
  2. American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
  3. Eaton NR, Keyes KM, Krueger RF, Balsis S, Skodol AE, Markon KE, et al. An invariant dimensional liability model of gender differences in mental disorder prevalence: Evidence from a national sample....
  4. MacKenzie CS, Gekoski WL, Knox VJ. Age, gender, and the underutilization of mental health services: The influence of help-seeking attitudes. Aging Ment Health 10(6):574–82. 2006.

Suggested Citation

  • Terlizzi EP, Zablotsky B. Mental health treatment among adults: United States, 2019. NCHS Data Brief, no 380. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2020.
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