U.S. Mental Health Issues - Statistics & Facts

Anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common types of mental disorders. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder. In 2019, around 12 percent of men and 19 percent of women in the U.S. reported symptoms of anxiety in the past two weeks before being surveyed. In that same year, around 7.8 percent of U.S. adults reported having a major depressive episode in the past year. Depression is more common among younger people and females are more susceptible than males.

The connection between mental health and substance abuse

Substance abuse has been known to promote symptoms of mental illness and those with mental illness will often abuse substances as a form of self-medication. In 2019, around 16.8 percent of adults who reported alcohol dependence or abuse had serious mental illness. Those suffering from mental illness use illicit drugs of all kinds at higher rates than those without such illness. For example, almost 33 percent of adults who had mental illness in the past year as of 2019 used marijuana, compared to 14 percent of adults who did not suffer from mental illness.

Mental health treatment

Treatment for mental health issues can come in many different forms and depends on the type and severity of the disorder. Common treatment methods include psychotherapy, behavioral therapy or counseling, medication, hospitalization, or support groups. Somewhat ironically, the use of psychedelic drugs has also recently been explored in treating a number of mental health disorders. The most common types of professionals seen for treatment among adults with a major depressive episode include a general practitioner or family doctor, psychiatrist, psychotherapist, or a counselor. In 2019, around 32 percent of those who reported a major depressive episode stated that they had serious thoughts of suicide, highlighting the importance of quality and easily accessible mental health treatment. Nevertheless, around 41 percent of adults in the U.S. report they did not receive mental health services because they could not afford it and 31 percent said they did not know where to go for such services.

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