Large majority of US adults say nation is facing a mental health crisis, new survey shows

If you think mental health has become a major issue in the United States, you are not alone.

Nearly 90% of those surveyed recently by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and CNN say there is a mental health crisis in the United States. The poll included about 2,000 adults from across the country who were asked a series of questions last summer over the phone.

In addition to the overwhelming majority of survey respondents saying the U.S. is facing a mental health crisis, other key findings include:

• Most people say the opioid epidemic, youth mental health and severe mental illness are at a crisis level in the United States
• Nearly half (47%) of parents surveyed say the pandemic had a negative impact on their child’s mental health
• Youngest adults surveyed (ages 18 to 29) report the most concerns with their mental health – they also report to be more likely to seek mental health services, but not always able to access them
• Economic uncertainty and personal finance issues are the top stressors for all adults surveyed, especially true for those with lower household incomes
• Slightly more than half say they or a family member have experienced a severe mental health crisis

The key findings overview is available on KFF’s website.

Help raise awareness and reduce stigma on World Mental Health Day

We celebrate World Mental Health Day every year to help raise awareness of mental health care for those who need it. People often have trouble accessing mental health care when needed due to long wait times, or they don’t even know where to start. In the recent KFF/CNN survey, for example, a majority of respondents said they had heard nothing about the launch of the new 988 mental health hotline in July 2022.

We’re here to help

We’ve all experienced years of ongoing stress and uncertainty due to COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic, plus recent stressors of inflation and other global events. Regence members can visit regence.com to explore behavioral health resources and provider options based on their health plan. Our award-winning Customer Service team is also available to help, by either calling the number on the back of your Regence member ID card or by logging in to your member account for live chat or to send a message.