Mental Health in America: Where Are We?

Stat: 32.8%: The share of U.S. adults that experienced symptoms of depression in the spring of 2021, one year following the COVID-19 outbreak. A threefold increase from pre-pandemic levels at 8.5%.

Story: The pandemic increased concerns about mental health in America and exposed a lack of access to treatment and a growing demand for services—all issues that existed before the COVID-19 outbreak. In this episode of “Mental Health in America,” NPR health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee and Catherine Ettman, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explore challenges facing the mental health care system. They’ll also explain the factors that contribute to poor mental health and how investments in the mental health care system can improve access to care.

Related resources:

• Why Pandemic Depression Is Not Going Away
• Kids Are Back in School—and Struggling With Mental Health Issues
• Just Over Half of U.S. Public Schools Offer Mental Health Assessments for Students; Fewer Offer Treatment
• Even After Lockdowns Eased, Pandemic Depression Persisted Across Social Classes—New Study
• Is Wealth Associated With Depressive Symptoms in the United States?
• Psychological Resilience During the COVID-19 Lockdown