Mental Health America just released a national ranking of the prevalence of mental health issues and access to care.
The rankings showed New York, followed by Hawaii, New Jersey and Vermont, were the states with the lowest prevalence of mental health conditions and the best access to care.
Nevada, Arizona, Alabama and Idaho ranked at the bottom, the report found.
The report looked at 17 indicators, including the number of people with mental illness, suicidal thoughts and major depressive episodes. It also factored in access to care, such as the number of providers and use of insurance.
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The report found New Jersey, Texas and Mississippi had the lowest prevalence of mental health issues, while Oregon, Colorado and Maine had the highest rates.
Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts had the most access to care, while Alabama, Texas and South Carolina had the lowest.
The report found 23.5% of adults experienced any mental illness in 2024, while 17.7% reported having a substance use disorder. It also said 5.5% of adults reported experiencing thoughts of suicide.
Some good news, Mental Health America reported, was that youth incidences of major depressive episodes and thoughts of suicide declined in 2024 compared to a year earlier.
“This report gives us a foundation to build better strategies, advocate for smarter policies, and target resources where they are needed most to address the ongoing mental health crisis in this country,” said Mary Giliberti, interim president and CEO of Mental Health America. “By using these facts to fuel action, we can best support the individuals and communities the data represent, moving from awareness to lasting change.”
