Mental Health Statistics

Mental Health conditions affect more people than most would realize. When looking at the statistics of the prevalence of mental health conditions in the United States “19.86% of adults are experiencing mental illness” (Reinert, Fritze & Nguyen, October 2021). Mental health in many states is concerning, in Kansas the ranking went from 29 in 2021 to 41 in 2022. We will further discuss the cause of this decline and what it means for those suffering from mental illness in this blog.

Adult prevalence of mental illness

In the state of Kansas 442,000 individuals are suffering from any mental illness. According to SAMHSA any mental illness (AMI) is defined as having a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder. The prevalence of mental illness in the United States is 50 million individuals (Reinert, Fritze & Nguyen, October 2021). Some of this is believed to be because of geographical location. There is a lack of greenery or vegetation to explore such as forests, mountains, oceans, etc. Research has shown that those who grow up in a location rich in nature have lower incidents of mental illness (Lambert, 2019). There are other factors that can affect one's risk of developing mental illness as well (Lambert, 2019). So, making the best of the nature around you will help boost your mood!

Adults with serious thoughts of suicide

The rate of serious suicidal thoughts in the United States was at an alarming rate of 4.58% or 11.4 million individuals in 2022. This is an increase from 2021. The rate of serious suicidal ideation in Kansas is 4.96% of the population or 107, 000 individuals (Reinert, Fritze & Nguyen, October 2021).

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Youth prevalence of mental illness

Not only is there an increase in mental illness in adults but unfortunately mental illness is increasing in youth too. The prevalence of mental illness is 15.8% of the total United States population. Kansas ranks 36th in the nation with 1 being the best and 51 being the worst for youth mental health illness prevalence. Substance use orders are also included with mental health illness. 4.08% of youth in the United States reported substance use (Reinert, Fritze & Nguyen, October 2021).

Adults with AMI who did not receive treatment, have unmet needs or are uninsured

According to Reinert, Fritze & Nguyen (October 2021) over half, 56% of adults with mental illness do not receive treatment. In Kansas, 51.2%, or 229,000 individuals go without mental health care and need care. In the United States, 24.7% of adults with AMI reported they were not able to receive the care they needed. Kansas scored 49th out of 51 with 1 being best and 51 being worst, 32.6% or 145,000 individuals in Kansas reported not being able to receive the mental health care they needed (Reinert, Fritze & Nguyen, October 2021). There are over 5.5 million adults with mental illness who are uninsured in the United States and 63,000 individuals in Kansas (Reinert, Fritze & Nguyen, October 2021).

Other statistics

Minorities are less likely to receive adequate care for their mental health illness (Reinert, Fritze & Nguyen, October 2021). There is approximately one mental health care provider per every 490 mental health patients. Mental health care providers in the study included psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, counselors, marriage & family therapists, and advanced practice nurse practitioners specializing in mental health (Reinert, Fritze & Nguyen, October 2021). Overall, Kansas ranks 41 out of 51 for mental health services, there are many reasons for this. The lack of mental health care providers, lack of insurance reimbursement, location of Kansas, and the rate of uninsured population (Conlon, 2022). There is a lot of room for improvement. Stay tuned for our next blog as we discuss being aware of mental health illness signs and symptoms.

If you are in need of treatment for a mental health illness please contact me, Amanda Haworth, TODAY! Call @ 316-779-2560 to schedule an appointment!

References

Conlon, R. (2022, October 18). Kansas ranks among the worst in the country on both mental illness and its treatment. Retrieved from kcur.org: https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-10-18/kansas-ranks-among-the-worst-in-the-country-on-both-mental-illness-and-its-treatment

Lambert, J. (2019, February 25). Greener childhood associated with happier adulthood. Retrieved from NPR.org: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/25/697788559/greener-childhood-associated-with-happier-adulthood

Reinert, M, Fritze, D. & Nguyen, T. (October 2021). “The State of Mental Health in America 2022”. Mental Health America, Alexandria VA.