Percent who saw or talked to a mental health professional in the past year
Measure Overview
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that more than one in five adults live with a mental illness in the United States. Numerous studies have consistently linked poor mental health with a number of negative health outcomes, including strong links to chronic disease, increased risk of substance use and abuse, and increased risk of death by suicide.
This mental health measure allows you to look beyond general mental health statistics and dive deeper into understanding access to mental health care in the U.S. Studies show that when individuals are able to see or talk to mental health professionals, like psychologists, psychiatrists, and clinical social workers, it can help with treating a variety of mental health conditions. But how many people in the U.S. can access and utilize mental health care?
Using mental health data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), this measure on State Health Compare provides state-level estimates of the percent of individuals who saw or talked to a mental health professional in the past year. This includes breakdowns by state, age (2-18, 2-64, 19-64, 65+), and health insurance coverage type (private, public, or uninsured).