
What percentage of adults get mental health treatment?
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. Women were more likely than men to have received any mental health treatment.
How many Americans live with a mental illness?
Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (51.5 million in 2019). Mental illnesses include many different conditions that vary in degree of severity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe.
How many people go to jail for mental illness each year?
About 2 million times each year, people with serious mental illness are booked into jails. About 2 in 5 people who are incarcerated have a history of mental illness (37% in state and federal prisons and 44% held in local jails). 66% of women in prison reported having a history of mental illness, almost twice the percentage of men in prison.
Are women more likely to have received any mental health treatment?
Women were more likely than men to have received any mental health treatment. 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 ).

How much money does mental illness cost the economy?
Across the U.S. economy, serious mental illness causes $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year. 20.5% of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. have a serious mental health condition. 37% of adults incarcerated in the state and federal prison system have a diagnosed mental illness.
How many people with mental illness do not receive mental health treatment?
About 3 in 5 people ( 63%) with a history of mental illness do not receive mental health treatment while incarcerated in state and federal prisons. Less than half of people ( 45%) with a history of mental illness receive mental health treatment while held in local jails.
How many people in prison have mental illness?
About 2 in 5 people who are incarcerated have a history of mental illness ( 37% in state and federal prisons and 44% held in local jails). 66% of women in prison reported having a history of mental illness, almost twice the percentage of men in prison.
How many emergency department visits are there for mental health?
Mental illness and substance use disorders are involved in 1 out of every 8 emergency department visits by a U.S. adult (estimated 12 million visits) Mood disorders are the most common cause of hospitalization for all people in the U.S. under age 45 ( after excluding hospitalization relating to pregnancy and birth)
How many people have mental health issues in 2019?
3.8% of U.S. adults experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness in 2019 (9.5 million people) Annual prevalence of mental illness among U.S. adults, by demographic group: Non-Hispanic Asian: 14.4%.
Is depression a cardiovascular disease?
People with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population. People with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions.
What is the difference between AMI and SMI?
Two broad categories can be used to describe these conditions: Any Mental Illness (AMI) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI). AMI encompasses all recognized mental illnesses. SMI is a smaller and more severe subset of AMI.
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 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 an AMI?
Any Mental Illness. Any mental illness (AMI) is defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder. AMI can vary in impact, ranging from no impairment to mild, moderate, and even severe impairment (e.g., individuals with serious mental illness as defined below).
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.
What is the most common type of mental health treatment?
The most common type of mental health treatmentamong U.S. adults is prescription medication, followed by outpatient and inpatient care.
What are the most common forms of mental illness?
The most common forms of mental illness are depression and anxiety.
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 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 is emotional disturbance?
For purposes of an IEP, the term “Emotional Disturbance” is used to define youth with a mental illness that is affecting their ability to succeed in school. Early identification for IEPs is critical. IEPs provide the services, accommodations and support students with ED need to receive a quality education.
What is MHPAE law?
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity law (MHPAE) was enacted a decade ago and promised the equal coverage of mental health and substance use services. However, the rate of children with private insurance that does not cover mental or emotional problems continues to increase, and private insurance companies continue to place subtle restrictions on coverage for mental health treatments.
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.
What is access ranking?
The Access Ranking indicates how much access to mental health care exists within a state. The access measures include access to insurance, access to treatment, quality and cost of insurance, access to special education, and workforce availability. A high Access Ranking indicates that a state provides relatively more access to insurance ...
What are the barriers to not receiving treatment?
Individuals seeking treatment but still not receiving needed services face the same barriers that contribute to the number of individuals not receiving treatment: No insurance or limited coverage of services. Shortfall in psychiatrists, and an overall undersized mental health workforce.
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 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.
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
Women Were More Likely Than Men to Have Received Any Mental Health Treatment.
- 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).
- 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%...
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 …
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…
About The Authors
- Emily P. Terlizzi and Benjamin Zablotsky are with the National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics.
References
- 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...
- American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
- 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...
- American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
- 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....
- 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.