About Mental Illness
Mental illnesses are medical conditions that affect a person’s thinking, mood, behavior and ability to function in daily life. Mental illnesses are not a result of personal weakness, poor upbringing and/or a lack of willpower. They can impact anyone, regardless of age, race, or background.
While mental illnesses cannot be overcome through sheer will, they are treatable. Individuals diagnosed with mental illnesses can experience relief with an individual treatment plan. Treatment plans can include medication, psychosocial treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, peer support and community services. In addition, factors such as access to transportation, healthy lifestyle habits and meaningful social connections can contribute to overall recovery and wellness.
Mental Health
By the numbers
Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by mental illness each year. It’s 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
- 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year 2
- 7.6% of U.S. adults experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness 3
- The rate of unemployment is higher among U.S. adults who have mental illness (7.4%) compared to those who do not (4.6%) 4
- 33.5% of U.S. adults with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2021 5
Impact on Youth
- 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year 6
- 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14 7
- Mental illness usually strikes individuals in the prime of their lives, often during adolescence and young adulthood 8
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14 9
- Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are 4x more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth10
- High school students with significant symptoms of depression are more than twice as likely to drop out compared to their peers 11
Impact on our Families
- At least 8.4 million people in the U.S. provide care to an adult with a mental or emotional health issue 12
- Caregivers of adults with mental or emotional health issues spend an average of 32 hours per week providing unpaid care13
Impact on our Diverse Communities
Annual prevalence of mental illness among U.S. adults, by demographic group:
Annual prevalence among U.S. adults, by condition:
Impact on Our Community:
California Mental Health Statistics
- In California, 1.2 million adults have a serious mental illness
- In California, 5.5 million adults have a mental health condition. That’s more than 6x the population of San Francisco.
- In California, nearly 400,000 youth aged 12-17 have depression.
- More than half of people with a mental health condition in the U.S. did not receive any treatment in the last year. Of the 1.5 million adults in California who did not receive needed mental health care, 35.3% did not because of cost.
- Californians are over 5x more likely to be forced out-of-network for mental health care than for primary health care — making it more difficult to find care and less affordable due to higher out-of-pocket costs. Nearly 9.4 million Californians live in a community that does not have enough mental health professionals.
More Information & Resources
Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning. Learn more about the different types of mental illnesses.