Mental Health Report

There are a range of factors that can affect a person's mental health, from work-related stress to financial difficulty and problems in personal relationships. But where you live may also play a significant role in the state of your mental health and your ability to get treatment.

From state to state, there are varying levels of mental healthcare infrastructure, down to the number of psychologists employed, the cost of prescription drugs, and access to treatment.

The experts at Universal Drugstore have delved into US medical data to determine which states are the best for your mental health. We’ve looked at the prevalence of mental health issues, the use of prescription medication to treat those illnesses, and treatment rates for each US state. We’ve also looked at the proportion of youths experiencing mental health struggles, the number of psychologists, the number of beds available at mental health facilities, and the proportion of adults who couldn’t afford treatment for each state.

1. Montana
   Mental Health Score: 8.06/10
   
   

The best mental health state in the United States is Montana, which scored 8.06 out of ten overall across various factors. Montana ranked among states with the lowest proportion of mentally unhealthy adults who could not afford to see a doctor (41%), although this still represents over two-fifths of residents. Additionally, Montana has the joint-second fewest number of reported poor mental health days, with an average of just four days in 2022.

It also ranked third for states with the highest number of beds available in mental health facilities per 100,000 people (99).

Montana ranked within the top 20 for states with the lowest proportion of youths who experienced depressive episodes within the last year during 2022 (15%) and adults with mental illnesses who did not receive treatment (51%). Additionally, it placed in the top 20 states with the highest number of psychologists employed per 100,000 people (19).

1. Nevada
   Mental Health Score: 2.06/10
   
   

Nevada comes out as the worst state in the United States for mental health, scoring 2.06 out of ten. The state ranked within the top five for states with the highest amount of poor mental health days reported (5) and the highest amount of youths that had experienced depressive episodes (18%) and states with the fewest psychologists employed per 100,000 people (8).

It ranked 10th for states with the most adults that were untreated for mental illness (58%). Nevada also ranked within the top 10 states with the fewest beds available in mental health facilities and the highest proportion of mentally unwell adults who couldn’t afford to see a doctor.

1. South Dakota
   Average number of poor mental health days: 3

   Coming in first place among US states with the fewest number of poor mental health days reported by adults is South Dakota. On average, adults reported three poor mental health days during 2022, the lowest of any state.

1. West Virginia
   Louisiana
   Average number of poor mental health days: 6

   West Virginia and Louisiana share the top spot for US states with the most poor mental health days reported by adults. During 2022, adults in these two states reported an average of 6 poor mental health days.

1. New Jersey
   Adults with any mental illness: 16%

   New Jersey is the state with the fewest number of adults affected by any mental illness, indicating that living there promotes a positive mental state for most people. As of 2022, the rate of adults affected by mental illness is at around one in six (16%) for the state.

1. Utah
   Adults with any mental illness: 27%

   Utah ranks as the state with the most adults affected by at least one mental illness. As of 2022, over a quarter (27%) of adults report having some form of mental illness.

1. D.C.
   Youths experiencing depressive episodes: 11%

   The state with the lowest proportion of its youth population (aged 12-17) experienced at least one depressive episode within the last year, is D.C. As of 2022, a little over one in ten (11%) youths had experienced at least one major depressive episode during the year.

1. Oregon
   New Mexico
   Youths experiencing depressive episodes: 19%

   Oregon and New Mexico share the top spot here as the states that have the highest proportion of youths who experience depressive episodes in the United States. Almost one in five (19%) people aged 12-17 in these states had experienced at least one depressive episode in the last year, as of 2022.

1. Vermont
   Adults untreated for mental illness: 43%

   Vermont has the lowest proportion of adults untreated for mental illness. As of 2022, over two-fifths (43%) of adults in Vermont haven’t been able to receive treatment, leaving almost half of mentally ill adults in the state untreated. The fact that this figure is the lowest in the US demonstrates a serious issue nationally.

1. Hawaii
   Adults untreated for mental illness: 67%

   On the other end of the spectrum, we have Hawaii as the US state with the highest proportion of adults untreated for mental health issues. Just over two-thirds, or 67%, of adults in the state have not received treatment for their mental illness as of 2022.

1. D.C.
   Psychologists per 100,000 people: 57

   Where the availability of psychologists is concerned, Washington, D.C. comes out on top. As of May 2022, the district recorded 57 clinical and counseling psychologists employed per 100,000 of the population, 11 more than second-placed Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

1. Alabama
   Maine
   Georgia
   Louisiana
   Psychologists per 100,000 people: 7

   We have a four-way tie between Alabama, Maine, Georgia, and Louisiana as the states with the fewest psychologists employed. Each state has just seven clinical and counseling psychologists employed per 100,000 of their respective populations, a considerable difference from first-placed D.C.

1. Wyoming
   Beds in mental health facilities per 100,000 People: 119

   Wyoming is the US state with the most sufficiently prepared mental health facilities by having the highest number of beds available. As of April 2022, the state recorded 119 beds per 100,000 people available for residential patients and inpatients at mental health facilities.

1. South Carolina
   Texas
   Georgia
   Beds in mental health facilities per 100,000 People: 25

   With a figure significantly lower than first place, we have a three-way tie for states with the fewest beds in mental health facilities for inpatients and residential patients. Per 100,000 of the population for each state, they all reported just 25 beds available at mental health facilities. Coincidentally, Georgia also ranked joint-last for states with the fewest psychologists employed.

1. Montana
   Mentally unhealthy adults who couldn’t afford to see a doctor: 41%

   Montana, which ranked as the best state in the US for mental health, ranks top for the lowest proportion of adults affected by mental illness who couldn’t financially afford to see a doctor. As of 2023, the state reported that over two-fifths (41%) of its mentally ill residents could not see a doctor due to the costs, the lowest in the United States.

1. Hawaii
   Mentally unhealthy adults who couldn’t afford to see a doctor: 69%

   The state with the highest proportion of adults unable to see a doctor for mental health issues due to the costs is Hawaii, with over two-thirds (69%) as of 2023. Hawaii also ranked as the state with the highest number of mentally unwell adults who had not been able to receive treatment.

Depending on what specific mental health condition you are affected by, prescription medications can play a significant role in your treatment, alongside different therapies. Medications can affect people in many different ways. Working with a mental health professional is essential to find the best treatment plan for you. 

Common prescription drugs for mental health illnesses include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as citalopram and fluoxetine, and novel serotonergic medications like vortioxetine. Other common prescription medications for mental health issues are selective serotonin and norepinephrine inhibitors (SNRIs), such as desvenlafaxine.  

In 2020, the CDC reported that 16.5% of adults in the US had taken prescription medication for their mental health. The CDC’s most recent survey shows that from May 2022 to June 2021, Hawaii had the lowest proportion of adults who took prescription medication for mental health during that timeframe, on average. Additionally, Hawaii has ranked top as the state in which mentally unhealthy adults haven’t received treatment and couldn’t afford to see a doctor for their mental health, which are contributing factors. 

West Virginia is the state with the highest proportion of adults who took prescription medication for their mental health, with an average of 31% between May 2022 and June 2021. West Virginia ranked top for states with the highest number of reported poor mental health days and second for states with the highest proportion of mentally unhealthy adults. This illustrates that because there are so many mentally unwell adults in the state, there are likely to be just as many taking prescription medication for treatment. However, there is also the caveat that these adults can get the required treatment, which is a positive. 

Methodology -

We started by taking a list of each US state and its estimated population as of July 2023, using the United States Census Bureau Annual Population Estimates.

Using the KFF’s Average Number of Poor Mental Health Days Reported in the Last 30 Days Among All Adults by Sex, we were able to record the number of poor mental health days reported by adults for each state in the last 20 days.

Using Mental Health America’s 2022 The State of Mental Health in America, we were able to take the percentage of adults who have any mental illness for each state (page 20). We also recorded the percentage of youths (aged 12-17) who had experienced at least one depressive episode in the last year (page 25) and the percentage of adults with any mental illness who did not receive treatment (page 28).

Using the US Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates to take the number of Clinical and counseling psychologists employed. We then used the census data to calculate this figure per 100,000 of each state's population.

Using the National Mental Health Services Survey: 2020 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, we were able to take down the number of beds available in mental health facilities for residential patients and inpatients for each state. We also calculated this figure per 100,000 of each state's population.

We then took the number of adults with mental health illnesses who did not receive treatment for each state as of 2023, using the Mental Health America Access to Care Ranking 2023.

We then gave each state a normalized score out of ten, based on their performance in each factor before calculating an average Mental Health Score out of ten for each state.

And lastly, we used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Mental Health Care: Household Pulse Survey to calculate the average number of mentally unwell adults that had taken prescription medication from May 2022 to June 2021.

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