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Mental Health Data/Statistics
Mental health treatment is often underutilized, with patients reluctant to seek these services and insurers reluctant to pay for them. Research has suggested that fewer than one-half of people with serious mental illness receive treatment.1 Poverty level also has an impact on the mental health status of all Americans. In 2010, adults living below the poverty level were three times more likely to have serious psychological distress as compared to adults over twice the poverty level.2 In general, minorities have less access to, and less availability of mental health services.3Quick Facts
- The death rate from suicide for African American men almost four times that for African American women, in 2009.
- African Americans are 20% more likely to report having serious psychological distress than Non-Hispanic Whites.
- Older Asian American women have the highest suicide rate of all women over age 65 in the United States.
- Suicide attempts for Hispanic girls, grades 9-12, were 70% higher than for White girls in the same age group, in 2011.
- While the overall death rate from suicide for American Indian/Alaska Natives is comparable to the White population, adolescent American Indian/Alaska Native females have death rates at almost four the rate for White females in the same age groups.
- National Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander mental health data is limited at this time. Data will be published as it is released in reports published by the CDC.
Statistics on African Americans and Mental Health.
Statistics on American Indians/Alaska Natives and Mental Health.
Statistics on Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders and Mental Health.
1CDC, 2011. Health United States, 2010, page 19.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus09.pdf [PDF | 9.4MB]
2CDC, 2012. Health United States, 2011, page 38.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus11.pdf [PDF | 9.8MB]
3U.S. Surgeon General, 2001
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44251/
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Last Modified: 12/05/2012 09:35:00 AM