The best and worst states for mental health

A higher ranking meant a state had fewer people diagnosed with mental illness or substance abuse and more mental health providers. It also meant more people had health insurance and had regular check-ups.

People in distress find themselves without help

“We also saw a huge need for preventative care, especially among young people,” says Reinert. She points to data from the report that around 30% of children aged 12 to 17 did not have a preventative health visit between 2022 and 2023. “This is concerning because preventative health visits are particularly essential in adolescence to promote well-being and identify physical and mental health problems as early as possible,” she says.

Reinert notes that 50 percent of adults with a mental health problem show symptoms during adolescence. “These preventive visits are often the only place where adolescents receive necessary mental health screenings, including screenings for depression and substance abuse,” she says.

But the report has some positive aspects: “There was a significant improvement in the rate of young people suffering from major depression and suicidal thoughts between 2023 and 2024,” says Reinert.

The percentage of children ages 12 to 17 experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year decreased, from 18.1 percent in 2023 to 15.4 percent in 2024. The percentage reporting serious suicidal thoughts in the past year also decreased, from 12.3 percent in 2023 to 10.1 percent in 2024.

Mental health outcomes improve when funding increases

The report “doesn’t include a lot of surprises,” but the information is still important, says Mark Olfson, MD, MPH, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and professor of psychiatry at Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. Despite persistent and widespread mental health disparities among states, he says, data shows that when states invest money, mental health improves.

For example, Reinert points to increased funding for youth mental health services, “particularly school-based services and crisis services through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which may have helped reduce rates of depression and suicidal ideation among youth,” she says.

Reinert also points to the 2022 signing of the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which included funding from the Department of Education to expand school-based mental health services and increase the number of mental health professionals providing services in schools.

“These services have been shown to improve access to care and contribute to better mental health outcomes,” says Reinert. “When we see real changes in the prevalence of mental health problems or access to care in this report, it shows that the changes we are making are working, so we should not reverse or interrupt the momentum of these policies. »

There are still resources available for residents of the lower states

“People don’t just need access to physical care,” says Judy Bass, PhD, MPH, a psychiatric epidemiologist and professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. “They also need access to mental health care. »

If you live in a lower-ranked state or have difficulty accessing care regardless of where you live, Dr. Olfson recommends checking your state or county health department’s website for information on local mental health resources.

If you have Medicaid, your state’s Medicaid office should have a list of providers who take your insurance in your area. “Primary care providers can also conduct initial mental health assessments and refer patients to mental health providers, while local family service agencies can help make referrals,” says Olfson.

If you’re going through a mental health crisis and don’t have a mental health provider, Reinert recommends calling or texting 988 for help. (Mental Health America also has a crisis text line, 741741.)

For non-emergency help finding care, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has an online database to locate providers near you.