Mental Disorders

Mental disorders encompass a broad range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, behavior, and daily functioning — including anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, OCD, and many others. Over 57.8 million U.S. adults — approximately 22.8% of the adult population — are affected by some form of mental illness, with 14.1 million (5.5%) living with serious mental illness that severely disrupts daily functioning. Mental disorders are among the most common and costly health conditions in the country, with anxiety disorders alone affecting an estimated 42.5 million adults annually. The lifetime prevalence of any mental disorder among U.S. adolescents aged 13–18 is approximately 49.5%, underscoring how early these conditions often emerge. Despite their prevalence, treatment access remains a persistent gap — 1 in 4 adults with any mental illness reported an unmet need for treatment, and more than 5 million adults with mental illness are uninsured. Disparities in diagnosis and care persist across gender, race, income, and geography, and stigma — while declining — remains a barrier to help-seeking. Effective treatments exist for most mental disorders, including psychotherapy, medication, and integrated care models, but investment in the mental health workforce and system capacity has not kept pace with growing need.