Mental Health America provides the most comprehensive mental health ranking for the United States. 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.
Since 2015, Mental Health America has been gathering information on the state of mental health in the United States and providing reports to the general public. Find our past reports here.
The 2023 State of Mental Health in America report contains the first nationally representative mental health data from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on the ability to collect data for national surveillance in 2020. As a result of both measure and methodological changes, the indicators in the 2023 report cannot be compared to previous years, and therefore should be interpreted as a snapshot in time ranking during the early days of the pandemic.
Download the full 2023 report (PDF)
The 2022 State of Mental Health in America report contains data collected through 2019, and therefore provides a comparative baseline for mental health needs in the U.S. prior to COVID-19. This report found further increases in the percentage of adults reporting suicidal ideation, representing an increase every year since 2012. This report also found a second annual increase in the percentage of adults with AMI who were uninsured, and a continued lack of access to care – more than half of adults with AMI and over 60% of youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment in 2018-2019.
Our 2022 report also contains two spotlights that take a deeper dive into MHA’s policy priorities from 2021-2022: suicide prevention and access to crisis care during the initial implementation of 988, and disparities in mental health treatment for black, indigenous, and youth of color.
Download the full 2022 report (PDF)
In our 2021 report, we saw an increase in the percentage of adults experiencing any mental illness. 60% of youth with depression still were not receiving mental health treatment, and even in states with the greatest access, 1 in 3 were going without care. For the first time since the passage of the ACA, we also saw an increase in the percentage of adults with AMI who were uninsured – the first numbers that reflect policy changes during the Trump administration.
Our 2021 spotlight provides an analysis of MHA Screening data from January-September 2020, capturing the mental health impact of the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, MHA saw the number of people looking for help with depression and anxiety skyrocket, more people reporting suicidal ideation than had ever been recorded since the launch of the program, and specific concerns for youth, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people experiencing increasing rates of loneliness and isolation.
Download the full 2021 report (PDF)
The 2020 State of Mental Health in America report examines trends from the first 6 years of reporting following the passage of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), including:
Download the full 2020 report (PDF)
Our 2019 spotlight provides a deep dive into youth trauma from the 2019 State of Mental Health in America report. The spotlight provides insight into challenges faced by youth.
Download the full 2019 report (PDF)
In our 2018 report, the data revealed that youth mental health was 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. Fortunately, more Americans have access to services. Access to insurance and treatment increased, as healthcare reform reduced the rates of uninsured adults. The greatest decrease in the rate of uninsured Adults with mental illnesses was seen in states that expanded Medicaid.
Download the full 2018 report (PDF)
Our 2018 spotlight provides a deep dive into depression data from MHA Screening. The spotlight provides additional insight into challenges faced by youth who turn to the internet seeking assistance for the first time.
In our 2017 report, we saw serious gains in access to insurance and access to treatment. It appeared the benefits of the Affordable Care Act were impacting our community positively. Among states that did expand Medicaid, only 13% of adults with a mental illness remained uninsured. In states that did not expand Medicaid, 19% were uninsured.
Download the 2017 report (PDF)
Paragraph text: A few key findings from our 2016 report include: Southern states have the lowest prevalence of addiction – around 7.5 percent. States in the Mountain West region have the highest prevalence of addiction – around 10.0 percent. Children with the least access to mental health insurance coverage are 3.5 times less likely to have coverage compared to those that live in states with the most coverage. In Hawaii (20 percent), children are 10 times more likely to be uninsured compared to children in Connecticut (2 percent).
The 2016 spotlight focused on challenges and opportunities in Prevention and Early Intervention.
Download the 2016 spotlight report (PDF)
Our first State of Mental Health in America report set the stage for exploring issues related to insurance coverage and access to care. The report established MHA’s goal to provide a snapshot of the current prevalence of mental health conditions and a baseline for implementation of state and federal legislation on mental health parity. A few key findings from the report include:
The 2015 spotlight focused on insurance coverage for individuals with a mental illness.
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