Mental Illness in the U.S. – by the Numbers

Adults

• 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness each year (21% or 52.9 million people.) 1 in 20 experienced a serious mental illness. 1 in 15 experienced both a substance use disorder and mental illness. 12+ million had serious thoughts of suicide.
• Mental illness affects everyone regardless of race, age, religion, or economic status
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
• 46.2% of adults with mental illness received treatment in 2020
• 11.3% of adults with mental illness had no insurance coverage in 2020
• 155 million people live in a designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area
• 26.3 million adults received virtual mental health services in 2020

• 1 in 6 youth aged 12-17 experienced a major depressive episode in 2020. 3 million had serious thoughts of suicide. There was a 31% increase in mental health-related emergency department visits.
• 1 in 3 young adults aged 18-25 experienced a mental illness in 2020. 1 in 10 experienced a serious mental illness. 3.8 million had serious thoughts of suicide.
• 1 in 5 young people reported that the pandemic had a significant negative impact on their mental health – 18% of adolescents and 23% of young adults.
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among 10-14 year olds