About mental illness

Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by mental illness each year. It is important to measure how common mental illness is, so we can understand its physical, social and financial impact — and so we can show that no one is alone. These numbers are also powerful tools for raising public awareness, stigma-busting and advocating for better health care.

Impact on Adults

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience a serious mental illness each year
• 1 in 15 U.S. adults experience a substance use disorder and mental illness each year
• 12+ million U.S. adults have serious thoughts of suicide each year
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people ages 10-34

Impact on Youth

• 1 in 6 U.S. youth experience mental health disorder each year
• 70% of youth in the juvenile
• 7 in 10 Arkansas youth in the juvenile justice system have a mental health condition

Impact on Diverse Communities

• 13.9% of Non-Hispanic Asian U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 22.9% of Non-Hispanic white U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 17.3% of Non-Hispanic black or African-American U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 18.7% of Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 35.8% of Non-Hispanic mixed/multiracial U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 16.6% of Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 18.4% of Hispanic or Latino U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 47.4% of Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual U.S. adults experience mental illness each year

Additional Impact of Mental Illness

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults report that the pandemic has a significant negative impact on their mental health

Treatment

• 45% of U.S. adults with mental illness receive treatment each year
• 45% of U.S. adults with serious mental illness receive treatment each year
• 51% of youth ages 6-17 with a mental health condition receive treatment each year

Treatment Gaps

• 17.7 million U.S. adults experienced delays or cancellations in appointments
• 7.3 million U.S. adults experienced delays getting prescriptions
• 4.9 million U.S. adults were unable to access needed care
• About 3 in 5 people with a history of mental illness do not receive treatment while incarcerated in state and federal prisons

Information on this page provided by NAMI, with information state and federal organizations, including Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Justice.