1. About 50% of Americans with a substance use disorder also have a mental illness.
Young people are contending with anxiety, jails have become de facto mental health centers, and deaths are rising from drug overdoes—but we know the way forward, if we have the will. Our nation is facing a new public health threat. Accelerated but not solely caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, feelings of anxiety and depression have grown to levels where virtually no one can ignore what is happening. A CNN/Kaiser Family Foundation poll put a number to it: 90% of Americans feel we are in a mental health crisis.
2. Suicide deaths by firearm rose by 11% from 2019 to 2022.
The most recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrates that suicide, including firearm suicide, remains a substantial public health concern: In 2022, deaths by suicide in the United States reached almost 50,000—the highest number ever recorded. And more than half, approximately 27,000 of those deaths, involved firearms.
3. Americans with mental illness are jailed more than 2 million times annually.
In this episode of “Mental Health in America,” Julie Wertheimer, project director for Pew’s work on mental health and justice partnerships, discusses the current state of these response systems and their impact on our criminal justice system.
4. 84% of Americans say work negatively affects their mental health.
More than a decade ago, I experienced severe anxiety while working for an organization that didn’t have the healthiest of cultures. The situation ultimately spiraled into a debilitating depression, which forced me to take a leave of absence from my job, which shattered my sense of self. Ambitious high achievers couldn't have depression, right?
5. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 24.
The share of high school students who experienced what is known as “suicidality”—which includes suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts—increased from 2011 to 2021, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Stay tuned for next week's feature, where we'll cover several factors driving America's mental health crisis.
People in America have long grappled with mental health conditions and substance use, and for many individuals, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues. The numbers are stark: In 2021, nearly 1 in 4 adults had a mental illness; nearly 1 in 3 adults had a substance use disorder or mental illness; and more than 12 million adults had serious thoughts of suicide.
The Pew Charitable Trusts conducts research and supports policies to improve behavioral health in America, including increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder, making suicide screening a routine part of health care delivery, and improving crisis care in communities so people in distress can have access to health-focused treatment instead of the first response coming from law enforcement.
1. About 50% of Americans with a substance use disorder also have a mental illness.
Young people are contending with anxiety, jails have become de facto mental health centers, and deaths are rising from drug overdoes—but we know the way forward, if we have the will. Our nation is facing a new public health threat. Accelerated but not solely caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, feelings of anxiety and depression have grown to levels where virtually no one can ignore what is happening. A CNN/Kaiser Family Foundation poll put a number to it: 90% of Americans feel we are in a mental health crisis.
2. Suicide deaths by firearm rose by 11% from 2019 to 2022.
The most recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrates that suicide, including firearm suicide, remains a substantial public health concern: In 2022, deaths by suicide in the United States reached almost 50,000—the highest number ever recorded. And more than half, approximately 27,000 of those deaths, involved firearms.
3. Americans with mental illness are jailed more than 2 million times annually.
In this episode of “Mental Health in America,” Julie Wertheimer, project director for Pew’s work on mental health and justice partnerships, discusses the current state of these response systems and their impact on our criminal justice system.
4. 84% of Americans say work negatively affects their mental health.
More than a decade ago, I experienced severe anxiety while working for an organization that didn’t have the healthiest of cultures. The situation ultimately spiraled into a debilitating depression, which forced me to take a leave of absence from my job, which shattered my sense of self. Ambitious high achievers couldn't have depression, right?
5. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 24.
The share of high school students who experienced what is known as “suicidality”—which includes suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts—increased from 2011 to 2021, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Stay tuned for next week's feature, where we'll cover several factors driving America's mental health crisis.
More than 2 million people with mental health conditions—including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and severe depression—are jailed each year, often for misdemeanor crimes. Three-quarters of these individuals have co-occurring substance use...
Substance use disorders and the harms associated with these diseases are a serious, growing public health problem. Nearly 48,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose in 2017. Pew develops and supports policies that would reduce the inappropriate...
Suicide is a growing public health problem in the United States. Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that more than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2022—the highest number of suicide deaths ever recorded in...
