NIMH Releases New Mental Illness Statistics

Earlier this week, the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) released new statistics on mental illness prevalence in the United States. The data presented in the report are from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

Results show that one in six U.S. adults lives with a mental illness (44.7 million in 2016). Two broad categories were used in the report to describe these conditions: Any Mental Illness (AMI) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI). AMI encompasses all recognized mental illnesses. SMI is a smaller and more severe subset of AMI. Here are the major findings of the report:

Prevalence of Any Mental Illness (AMI)

  • In 2016, there were an estimated 44.7 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with AMI. This number represented 18.3% of all U.S. adults.
  • The prevalence of AMI was higher among women (21.7%) than men (14.5%).
  • Young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence of AMI (22.1%) compared to adults aged 26-49 years (21.1%) and aged 50 and older (14.5%).
  • The prevalence of AMI was highest among the adults reporting two or more races (26.5%), followed by the American Indian/Alaska Native group (22.8%). The prevalence of AMI was lowest among the Asian group (12.1%).
  • An estimated 49.5% of adolescents had any mental disorder.
  • Of adolescents with any mental disorder, an estimated 22.2% had severe impairment. DSM-IV criteria were used to determine impairment.

Prevalence of Serious Mental Illness (SMI)

  • In 2016, there were an estimated 10.4 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with SMI. This number represented 4.2% of all U.S. adults.
  • The prevalence of SMI was higher among women (5.3%) than men (3.0%).
  • Young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence of SMI (5.9%) compared to adults aged 26-49 years (5.3%) and aged 50 and older (2.7%).
  • The prevalence of SMI was highest among the adults reporting two or more races (7.5%), followed by the American Indian/Alaska Native group (4.9%). The prevalence of SMI was lowest among the Asian group (1.6%).

The full report can be accessed on the NIMH website by clicking here.

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