Mental Health Treatment Barriers in Different Age Groups

May 1 marked the start to Mental Health Awareness Month, with the theme in 2025 being "Turn Awareness into Action", showcasing the "importance of moving beyond recognition toward meaningful, lasting change in how mental health is understood, supported and treated".

A survey published by Mental Health America shows that at least when it comes to moving from recognition to treatment, there are still some barries in the United States. Between 45 percent and 58 percent of U.S. adults and teenagers with a mental health need received treament in 2023. For those whose treatment needs went unmet, reasons why this happened differed significantly by age group. While in both groups thinking the situation could be handled alone was the most commonly cited issue, adults were much more likely to state that they couldn't afford mental health treatment or that their insurance would cover too little of the cost. Among teenagers aged 12 to 17, fear about judgement and confidentiality were much more widespread, hinting at the fact that prejudice and misinformation about mental health is still too prevalent among younger people, but also that some reduction of this stigma has been achieved among adults.

Also of concern is that 38 percent of adults and 56 percent of teenagers said they didn't know where to go to get the support services they needed.