Prevalence of Mental Illness 2023

 
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Prevalence of Mental Illness

A ranking 1-13 for Prevalence indicates a lower prevalence of mental health and substance use issues compared to states that ranked 39-51.

The seven measures that make up the Prevalence Ranking include:

  1. Adults with Any Mental Illness (AMI)
  2. Adults with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year
  3. Adults with Serious Thoughts of Suicide
  4. Youth with at Least One Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in the Past Year
  5. Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year
  6. Youth with Serious Thoughts of Suicide
  7. Youth (Ages 6-17) Flourishing
Rank State
01 Georgia
02 South Carolina
03 Texas
04 New Jersey
05 North Carolina
06 Delaware
07 Florida
08 Maryland
09 Wisconsin
10 Kentucky
11 New York
12 Hawaii
13 Mississippi
14 Pennsylvania
15 Tennessee
16 California
17 Connecticut
18 Nevada
19 Arkansas
20 District of Columbia
21 Indiana
22 Alabama
23 Massachusetts
24 Louisiana
25 Michigan
26 Oklahoma
27 Rhode Island
28 Iowa
29 Virginia
30 Missouri
31 Illinois
32 North Dakota
33 Colorado
34 Alaska
35 New Hampshire
36 New Mexico
37 Wyoming
38 Arizona
39 West Virginia
40 Ohio
41 Minnesota
42 Maine
43 Washington
44 Nebraska
45 Vermont
46 Utah
47 South Dakota
48 Idaho
49 Montana
50 Kansas
51 Oregon

Adult Prevalence of Any Mental Illness (AMI) 2023

 
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The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 17.49% in Florida to 29.68% in Utah.

According to SAMHSA, “Any Mental Illness (AMI) is defined as having a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder, other than a developmental or substance use disorder as assessed by the Mental Health Surveillance Study (MHSS) Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—Fourth Edition—Research Version—Axis I Disorders (MHSS-SCID), which is based on the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). These estimates are based on indicators of AMI rather than direct measures of diagnostic status."

Rank State Percentage Number
01 Florida 17.49 2,985,000
02 Georgia 17.55 1,397,000
03 Maryland 17.80 822,000
04 Hawaii 17.86 189,000
05 Texas 17.96 3,825,000
06 New Jersey 18.27 1,251,000
07 Connecticut 18.77 524,000
08 New York 18.83 2,855,000
09 Pennsylvania 19.68 1,963,000
10 North Carolina 19.80 1,592,000
11 Tennessee 20.46 1,073,000
12 California 20.49 6,169,000
13 Virginia 20.51 1,331,000
14 Delaware 20.52 156,000
15 Illinois 20.72 2,000,000
16 North Dakota 20.79 118,000
17 Iowa 21.00 503,000
18 Mississippi 21.06 465,000
19 New Mexico 21.16 337,000
20 Louisiana 21.18 733,000
21 Alabama 21.24 797,000
22 South Dakota 21.25 139,000
23 Missouri 21.32 996,000
24 Nevada 21.38 508,000
25 Massachusetts 21.39 1,172,000
26 Maine 21.61 234,000
27 South Carolina 21.69 862,000
28 Indiana 21.83 1,109,000
29 Wisconsin 21.83 982,000
30 Kentucky 21.91 742,000
31 Alaska 22.20 117,000
32 Michigan 22.33 1,729,000
33 Arkansas 22.61 514,000
34 District of Columbia 22.95 131,000
35 Colorado 23.16 1,028,000
36 Minnesota 23.23 997,000
37 Nebraska 23.41 335,000
38 Montana 23.43 195,000
39 Wyoming 23.63 103,000
40 Vermont 23.71 120,000
41 New Hampshire 23.74 260,000
42 Arizona 23.89 1,339,000
43 Rhode Island 24.12 202,000
44 Ohio 24.32 2,177,000
45 Idaho 24.92 333,000
46 Washington 25.51 1,500,000
47 Oklahoma 25.59 752,000
48 Kansas 26.02 560,000
49 West Virginia 26.05 366,000
50 Oregon 27.33 909,000
51 Utah 29.68 675,000
52 National 20.78 52,173,000

Adults with Substance Use Disorder 2023

 
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Adults with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

17.82% of adults in the U.S. had a substance use disorder in the past year, totaling over 45 million people.

9.41% of adults in America had a drug use disorder in the past year.

11.28% of adults in America had an alcohol use disorder in the past year.

The state prevalence of adults with substance use disorder ranges from 14.15% in Utah to 24.30% in Alaska.

According to SAMHSA, “Substance Use Disorder (SUD) estimates are based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition criteria. SUD is defined as meeting the criteria for drug or alcohol use disorder. Beginning with the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, questions on prescription drug use disorder were asked of all past year users of prescription drugs, regardless of whether they misused prescription drugs.” 

Rank State Percentage Number
01 Georgia 11.31 906,000
02 Texas 11.93 2,564,000
03 Utah 12.64 291,000
04 Kentucky 12.98 441,000
05 North Carolina 13.48 1,092,000
06 Hawaii 13.77 145,000
07 Tennessee 13.94 734,000
08 South Carolina 14.08 564,000
09 Virginia 14.53 947,000
10 Indiana 14.61 745,000
11 Florida 14.81 2,541,000
12 Arkansas 14.85 339,000
13 New York 14.88 2,250,000
14 West Virginia 14.93 210,000
15 Alabama 14.94 563,000
16 Nevada 14.95 360,000
17 Idaho 15.02 204,000
18 Maryland 15.27 706,000
19 Ohio 15.36 1,377,000
20 New Jersey 15.37 1,052,000
21 Mississippi 15.47 341,000
22 Delaware 15.57 120,000
23 Iowa 15.73 378,000
24 Wisconsin 15.88 717,000
25 Missouri 15.93 746,000
26 Pennsylvania 15.94 1,589,000
27 Oklahoma 16.07 474,000
28 Arizona 16.25 923,000
29 North Dakota 16.37 93,000
30 Louisiana 16.43 569,000
31 Alaska 16.57 87,000
32 New Mexico 16.58 265,000
33 Rhode Island 16.66 140,000
34 Connecticut 16.66 465,000
35 Illinois 16.69 1,607,000
36 California 16.70 5,027,000
37 Michigan 16.72 1,295,000
38 New Hampshire 17.00 186,000
39 Colorado 17.25 771,000
40 Minnesota 17.26 742,000
41 Maine 17.32 188,000
42 Massachusetts 17.41 955,000
43 Wyoming 17.57 77,000
44 Vermont 17.69 89,000
45 Nebraska 18.00 258,000
46 Kansas 18.42 398,000
47 South Dakota 18.55 122,000
48 Washington 18.59 1,100,000
49 Oregon 19.13 639,000
50 Montana 19.22 161,000
51 District of Columbia 21.21 122,000
52 National 15.35 38,679,000

Adults with Serious Thoughts of Suicide 2023

 
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5.04% of adults reported experiencing serious thoughts of suicide. The estimated number of adults with serious suicidal thoughts in the U.S. is over 12.8 million.

After slight decreases in suicide deaths in 2019 and 2020, the number of individuals who died by suicide in 2022 was the highest number ever recorded in the U.S.

The state prevalence of adults with serious thoughts of suicide ranges from 4.16% in Connecticut to 7.12% in Utah.

Rank State Percentage Number
01 Georgia 3.92 313,000
02 New Jersey 4.12 283,000
03 Texas 4.18 892,000
04 Florida 4.26 727,000
05 North Carolina 4.30 346,000
06 District of Columbia 4.30 25,000
07 New York 4.34 659,000
08 California 4.39 1,323,000
09 Connecticut 4.40 123,000
10 South Carolina 4.42 176,000
11 Louisiana 4.50 156,000
12 Illinois 4.54 438,000
13 Tennessee 4.58 240,000
14 Virginia 4.58 298,000
15 New Hampshire 4.62 50,000
16 Hawaii 4.62 49,000
17 Mississippi 4.65 103,000
18 Delaware 4.65 35,000
19 Maryland 4.67 216,000
20 Massachusetts 4.74 260,000
21 New Mexico 4.82 77,000
22 Michigan 4.84 375,000
23 Wisconsin 4.85 219,000
24 Pennsylvania 4.86 485,000
25 Kentucky 4.89 166,000
26 Alabama 4.96 186,000
27 Maine 5.12 56,000
28 Rhode Island 5.17 43,000
29 Oklahoma 5.24 154,000
30 Nebraska 5.35 77,000
31 Iowa 5.38 129,000
32 Vermont 5.40 27,000
33 West Virginia 5.42 76,000
34 Missouri 5.47 256,000
35 Nevada 5.52 131,000
36 Arkansas 5.59 127,000
37 Washington 5.62 331,000
38 North Dakota 5.62 32,000
39 Indiana 5.82 296,000
40 Minnesota 5.96 256,000
41 Colorado 6.01 267,000
42 Ohio 6.01 538,000
43 Wyoming 6.02 26,000
44 South Dakota 6.08 40,000
45 Alaska 6.15 32,000
46 Montana 6.24 52,000
47 Idaho 6.27 84,000
48 Kansas 6.44 139,000
49 Arizona 6.48 364,000
50 Oregon 6.80 226,000
51 Utah 7.63 174,000
52 National 4.84 12,151,000

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode (MDE) 2023

 
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Youth with at Least One Past Year Major Depressive Episode (MDE)

20.17% of youth (ages 12-17) reported suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year.

15% of youth in the U.S. experienced an MDE with severe impairment, meaning it severely impacted their functioning at work, school, or home.

The state prevalence of youth with MDE ranges from 16.02% in the District of Columbia to 24.96% in Oregon.

 

Rank State Percentage Number
01 New Jersey 12.57 84,000
02 South Carolina 13.41 51,000
03 Pennsylvania 14.04 127,000
04 Wisconsin 14.16 63,000
05 Delaware 14.24 10,000
06 Georgia 14.49 127,000
07 California 14.83 447,000
08 Kentucky 14.89 51,000
09 Arkansas 14.97 36,000
10 Mississippi 15.08 37,000
11 Maryland 15.37 69,000
12 Indiana 15.45 83,000
13 Florida 15.51 225,000
14 North Carolina 15.56 124,000
15 Connecticut 15.64 42,000
16 Rhode Island 15.90 11,000
17 Oklahoma 15.97 51,000
18 Michigan 15.99 119,000
19 Nevada 16.02 38,000
20 New York 16.03 214,000
21 Louisiana 16.18 58,000
22 District of Columbia 16.32 5,000
23 Wyoming 16.78 8,000
24 Missouri 16.84 79,000
25 Arizona 16.90 96,000
26 New Hampshire 17.02 16,000
27 Colorado 17.05 74,000
28 Texas 17.08 429,000
29 Iowa 17.10 42,000
30 Tennessee 17.32 89,000
31 Alabama 17.56 65,000
32 Massachusetts 17.74 84,000
33 North Dakota 17.77 10,000
34 West Virginia 17.92 22,000
35 Kansas 17.94 43,000
36 South Dakota 17.96 13,000
37 Illinois 18.10 177,000
38 Ohio 18.25 162,000
39 Alaska 18.36 10,000
40 Hawaii 18.36 17,000
41 Utah 19.08 61,000
42 New Mexico 19.32 32,000
43 Minnesota 19.39 86,000
44 Virginia 19.56 124,000
45 Washington 19.57 108,000
46 Maine 19.85 18,000
47 Nebraska 20.08 32,000
48 Montana 20.18 16,000
49 Vermont 20.64 8,000
50 Idaho 20.88 33,000
51 Oregon 21.13 63,000
52 National 16.39 4,087,000

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episode 2023

 
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11.5% of youth (or over 2.7 million youth) are experiencing severe major depression.

Rates of a severe major depressive episode were highest among youth who identified as more than one race, at 16.5% (about 123,000 youth).

The percentage of youth with severe major depressive episode in South Dakota (ranked 51) is nearly four times the percentage of youth with severe MDE in South Carolina (ranked 1).

The state prevalence of youth with Severe MDE ranges from 5.2% in South Carolina to 19.9% in South Dakota.

Rank State Percentage Number
01 South Carolina 5.20% 19,000
02 New Jersey 7.50% 48,000
03 Mississippi 8.10% 19,000
04 Wisconsin 8.50% 37,000
05 Massachusetts 8.80% 40,000
06 California 9.20% 269,000
07 Pennsylvania 9.20% 79,000
08 Kentucky 9.30% 30,000
09 Rhode Island 9.90% 7,000
10 Georgia 10.00% 85,000
11 Delaware 10.10% 7,000
12 Connecticut 10.20% 26,000
13 Oklahoma 10.30% 32,000
14 Arkansas 10.60% 25,000
15 District of Columbia 10.60% 3,000
16 North Carolina 10.60% 82,000
17 Tennessee 10.60% 54,000
18 Wyoming 10.70% 5,000
19 New York 10.80% 137,000
20 Texas 10.80% 261,000
21 Colorado 10.90% 46,000
22 Hawaii 10.90% 10,000
23 Indiana 11.20% 57,000
24 Michigan 11.30% 83,000
25 Florida 12.30% 174,000
26 Maryland 12.40% 55,000
27 New Mexico 12.80% 21,000
28 Kansas 13.00% 30,000
29 West Virginia 13.00% 16,000
30 Arizona 13.10% 72,000
31 Alabama 13.20% 48,000
32 New Hampshire 13.30% 12,000
33 Montana 13.40% 10,000
34 North Dakota 13.60% 7,000
35 Missouri 13.80% 64,000
36 Nevada 13.80% 32,000
37 Ohio 13.90% 119,000
38 Vermont 13.90% 5,000
39 Washington 14.00% 74,000
40 Illinois 14.40% 136,000
41 Alaska 14.80% 8,000
42 Iowa 15.00% 36,000
43 Minnesota 15.20% 64,000
44 Nebraska 15.70% 23,000
45 Virginia 15.70% 97,000
46 Maine 16.30% 14,000
47 Utah 16.40% 50,000
48 Louisiana 16.60% 59,000
49 Idaho 17.50% 27,000
50 Oregon 19.00% 55,000
51 South Dakota 19.90% 14,000
52 National 11.50% 2,782,000

Youth with Substance Use Disorder 2023

 
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6.34% of youth in the U.S. reported a substance use disorder in the past year.  

2.85% had an alcohol use disorder in the past year, while 4.85% had an illicit drug use disorder.

The state prevalence of youth with substance use disorder ranges from 3.94% in the District of Columbia to 9.05% in Kansas.

Rank State Percentage Number
01 District of Columbia 3.94 1,000
02 Georgia 4.30 38,000
03 Nevada 4.65 11,000
04 Alaska 5.06 3,000
05 North Carolina 5.13 41,000
06 Delaware 5.13 4,000
07 South Carolina 5.26 20,000
08 Maryland 5.27 24,000
09 Wisconsin 5.66 25,000
10 Utah 5.70 18,000
11 Minnesota 5.73 25,000
12 Texas 5.79 146,000
13 Florida 5.99 87,000
14 Louisiana 6.00 22,000
15 Arizona 6.06 35,000
16 Oklahoma 6.07 20,000
17 Hawaii 6.08 6,000
18 Alabama 6.11 23,000
19 Tennessee 6.13 32,000
20 Washington 6.27 35,000
21 Arkansas 6.29 15,000
22 Colorado 6.37 28,000
23 Mississippi 6.48 16,000
24 New York 6.49 86,000
25 Indiana 6.49 35,000
26 Iowa 6.52 16,000
27 North Dakota 6.53 4,000
28 Kentucky 6.59 22,000
29 Rhode Island 6.60 5,000
30 California 6.64 200,000
31 Massachusetts 6.77 32,000
32 Ohio 6.81 60,000
33 Missouri 6.81 32,000
34 Pennsylvania 6.85 62,000
35 Wyoming 6.90 3,000
36 West Virginia 6.96 9,000
37 Virginia 6.99 44,000
38 Idaho 7.06 11,000
39 Nebraska 7.13 11,000
40 Michigan 7.14 53,000
41 Illinois 7.19 70,000
42 New Jersey 7.26 49,000
43 South Dakota 7.37 5,000
44 New Hampshire 7.46 7,000
45 Maine 7.46 7,000
46 Connecticut 7.50 20,000
47 New Mexico 7.75 13,000
48 Vermont 7.91 3,000
49 Oregon 7.97 24,000
50 Montana 8.60 7,000
51 Kansas 9.05 22,000
52 National 6.34 1,584,000