Millions of Americans struggle with their mental health; according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated one in five adults (23.1%) in the U.S. live with a mental illness. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) stated in their “2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report” that “nearly 20% of children and young people ages 3-17 in the United States have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder.”
Some mental health conditions, like depression, have been linked to increased risk of chronic disease (like heart disease and diabetes) and higher health care costs. Even things like overwhelm, loneliness, and stress can impact people greatly – 76% of adults report having physical impacts of stress in the last month (like headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbance, etc.).
Beyond the physical and individual impacts, mental health can impact families, with children of parents with mental illness being at higher risk of developing mental illness. Mentally ill parents can lead to stressful and unpredictable family environments, with one literature review noting that, “adverse factors are more frequent in these families, as well as a higher risk for child abuse.”
To bring visibility, resources, and attention to an issue that impacts the health and wellbeing of millions of individuals and families of all ages, races, genders, and backgrounds in the U.S. every year, Mental Health America declared May as “Mental Health Awareness Month” beginning in 1949.
To support Mental Health Awareness Month, SHADAC has compiled this blog, filled with mental health data and resources. First, we’ll review some mental health survey data sources you could consider using for your own research. Then, we’ll review a sample of blogs, publications, and resources on mental health from researchers at SHADAC and beyond.
Survey Sources of Mental Health Data
Analyzing mental health survey data is one way to understand mental health in the United States - using data to explore mental health can allow us to understand who is impacted and how.
For example, we can use survey data to look into the health care costs and impacts of mental health, like exploring the groups that tend to utilize mental health services more often, or the connection between health insurance coverage and mental health care access or utilization. Survey data can also allow researchers to look into behaviors often linked to mental illness or struggles, like substance use or suicide deaths.
Here are a few surveys that include collection of mental health data:
BRFSS
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is an annual, telephone-based survey of U.S. adults (18 years or older). This survey, conducted in partnership by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state health departments, collects data on adults’ health-related behaviors, chronic conditions, and use of preventative services.
Mental health related data collected from the BRFSS includes:
- Information on substance use, like heavy drinking (those with mental disorders “are at greater risk for substance misuse”)
- Questions on chronic conditions like depression and/or anxiety disorders
- Recent “mentally unhealthy” days in the past 30 days
Learn more about the BRFSS and how researchers use it in this SHADAC blog.
NHIS
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), conducted by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), is the oldest national health survey in the U.S., with the first data collected in 1957. Since then, the NHIS has collected data on civilian non-institutionalized children and adults in the U.S. on topics like:
- Daily activities, functioning, and disability
- Health insurance coverage
- Health care access and utilization
- Illness and chronic conditions
- Preventative services
- Chronic pain and injury
Mental health data from the NHIS includes information on access and use of mental health care services, like seeing a mental health professional. The survey also includes questions on depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, and frequent stress.
State-Level Surveys
Alongside national surveys like the NHIS, many states conduct their own health surveys in order to collect data on their state’s population.
SHADAC in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health conducts the Minnesota Health Access Survey (MNHA) every two years, collecting data on health and health care in Minnesota. This includes collection of mental health related data, like questions about mentally unhealthy days, forgone mental health care due to cost, and experiences of discrimination.
Learn more about MNHA and SHADAC’s work with it here.
Another example is the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the largest state health survey in the U.S. Like the MNHA, the CHIS asks the state’s population a range of health-related questions, collecting data on health insurance coverage, access, and use. This includes collecting mental health data, like use of mental health services, experiencing anxiety and/or depression, substance use, suicidal ideation, and more.
Check out the CHIS in action – “Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity in California: 2024 Edition”, a report from the California Health Care Foundation, uses CHIS data to analyze health disparities, including in mental health related topics like adverse childhood experiences, neighborhood safety, unfair treatment due to race, and more.
Population-Specific Surveys
State-level surveys provide health data for a state’s population. But what if you want to get more specific than the state-level? There are a number of surveys out there that collect data on particular populations, which can be particularly helpful if you are looking to study a specific community or group.
For example, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) used data from the Postpartum Assessment of Health Survey to “analyze differences in reported health status, access to care, service utilization, and overall health between postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with and without mental health conditions.”
Read more about this analysis in MACPAC’s full brief.
Mental Health Data & Measures on State Health Compare
As we just reviewed, survey data is a great resource for understanding and analyzing mental health and mental health care in the U.S.
SHADAC uses a wide variety of survey data sources on our online and interactive data tool, State Health Compare. We use this data to populate a number of health-related measures on this data tool, allowing users to easily explore and access information on health and health care in the U.S.
A few examples of mental health measures on State Health Compare:
Saw Mental Health Professional
Using data from the NHIS, we recently launched this brand-new measure, “Saw Mental Health Professional”, in 2025. This measure allows users to see the percent of people who reported seeing a mental health professional in the last year; “mental health professionals” include clinical social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses, amongst others.
Revealing information on mental health care utilization, this measure also allows further breakdown by age and by insurance coverage status. Explore this measure yourself here.
Unhealthy Days
As we mentioned in the “Survey Sources of Mental Health Data” section, the BRFSS asks respondents how many ‘unhealthy days’ they have had in the past 30 days. This includes distinctions between ‘physically unhealth’ and ‘mentally unhealthy’ days, providing us with insight on respondents’ mental and physical health.
You can explore that data on State Health Compare, with breakdowns by age, insurance coverage type, education, disability status, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and income.
Curious about how disaggregating this data could reveal differences between groups? Check out this SHADAC blog and accompanying infographics: Measuring State-Level Disparities in Unhealthy Days
...And More
Other mental health related measures on State Health Compare include:
- Substance use related measures (alcohol-involved deaths, adult excessive alcohol consumption, opioid and other drug poisoning deaths, etc.)
- Suicide deaths
- Pre-existing conditions
- Activities limited due to mental or physical health
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Did you know that nearly half of all children in the United States have had an adverse childhood experience?
Adverse childhood experiences, commonly called “ACEs”, are defined as, “a range of negative experiences people may experience as children that can have profound implications for their health. Sometimes ACEs may occur in the form of a single traumatic event, such as a violent incident, but ACEs may also be the result of recurring, lower-grade stress, such as continual food insecurity.”
Exposure to ACEs has impacts in the moment and in the long term, with numerous studies linking ACEs to health impacts and struggles with mental health even years after the event or events occurred.
You can learn more about ACEs in SHADAC’s Basics Blog, “What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)? ACEs Definition, Data Challenges, and Resources”. If you’re ready to dig beyond the basics, explore the data on ACEs on State Health Compare or read SHADAC’s brief on ACEs and health equity, breaking down ACEs data by various populations and discussing implications for health and health policy.
Substance Use and Mental Health
As we mentioned earlier in this blog, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, those with mental disorders “are at greater risk for substance misuse”.
The connection between mental health and substance use and misuse is strong, but not necessarily straightforward. For example, some people use alcohol or drugs in order to manage mental health symptoms of anxiety, depression, etc. as a form of self-medicating. For others, substance use can lead to and/or worsen mental health symptoms.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) also reports that some underlying causes of mental health conditions can contribute to substance use, like childhood trauma, genetic predisposition, and composition of the brain. Substance use and mental health can also be tied to one’s physical wellness or condition – for example, chronic pain is linked to both depression and substance use and misuse.
Substance use and misuse are more relevant than ever in the U.S. For example:
- The continuing opioid epidemic, with fatal overdoses from fentanyl increasing 99% during the pandemic period
- The acceleration of alcohol-attributable deaths across the country
- Drug overdoses were the third leading cause of death for adolescents during the pandemic
Ready to learn more about mental health and substance use? You can explore & download data and create customized charts on excessive alcohol consumption, opioid and other drug poisoning deaths, smoking, alcohol-involved deaths, and more by state and by various subpopulations on State Health Compare.
SHADAC also consistently updates our resource page “The Opioid Epidemic in the United States” with the latest information, publications, graphics, and more from our researchers and analysts. Check out SHADAC’s latest opioid brief, “Changing Dynamics in the Opioid Crisis Since the COVID-19 Pandemic”, along with some of these other SHADAC briefs and resources:
- Cannabis Use Across the States in the Early Legalization Era
- The Opioid Crisis in the Pandemic Era
- Adult Excessive Alcohol Consumption Rate Trends in the United States
Mental Health Data Matters: How Will You Use It?
Collecting and analyzing mental health data is imperative for understanding who is impacted by mental health, what affects peoples’ mental health, and how (and if) people access mental health care.
People are complex, with many factors impacting overall health and wellbeing at both the individual and population level. We hope that this blog gives you insight and resources on how you can start analyzing mental health data and researching topics related to mental health to better understand how policy, interventions, and current events come together to impact public health.
Are you looking to analyze survey data or start a new research project, but aren’t sure where to start? SHADAC is here to help – we can provide expert advice and technical assistance on a wide range of projects and data analysis. Contact us to get started.