While many across the United States experience mental health conditions that require treatment and support, access to care can vary drastically state by state. High costs, limited access to treatment centers and providers and a lack of health insurance are just a few barriers residents face.
A report by Forbes Advisor recently ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia to spotlight the best and worst locales for mental health care. To build the ranking, seven factors were considered: The percentage of adults with a mental illness who do not receive treatment at all; the percentage of adults with a mental illness who do not receive adequate treatment; the percentage of adults who are struggling with mental health and could not see a doctor due to cost; the percentage of youth with depression who do not receive mental health services; the percentage of adults with a mental illness who are uninsured; the percentage of youth with private health insurance that does not cover mental or emotional problems; and the number of mental health treatment centers per 10,000 businesses. From there, each state was ranked and given a total score out of 100, with a higher score signifying worse outcomes in that locale.
Read more: Can AI solve the mental health crisis?
Texas is ranked the worst state for mental health care with a total score of 100. The Lonestar state has just 8.4 treatment centers per 10,000 businesses, while also having a high percentage of adults with mental illness who do not receive treatment (62.3%). The state also has the second highest percentage of youth with depression who do not receive mental health services (74.9%).
Other states at the top of the list include Georgia and Alabama with total scores of 91.76 and 87.6, respectively. Georgia has the highest percentage of adults who are struggling with mental health and could not see a doctor due to cost (34.4%), and Alabama has the third highest percentage of adults with a mental illness who are uninsured (17.9%).
The best state for mental health care is Vermont, with a total score of 0.00. This state has 34.79 mental health treatment centers per 10,000 businesses and only a small percentage of adults with a mental illness who are uninsured (5.8%).
Other states with enviable mental health care include Montana and Illinois with total scores of 2.17 and 3.55, respectively. Montana has 25.79 mental health treatment centers per 10,000 businesses and 23.71% of adults with a mental illness have delayed treatment due to cost. In Illinois, only 6.3% of adults with a mental illness are uninsured.
Read more: Managers need help talking about mental health. Here's where to start
Read more about the 20 worst states for mental health care below.
