A new analysis from KFF finds that the rate of young adults (ages 18-26) receiving mental health treatment will increase by 45% between 2019 and 2022, the sharpest increase of any other age group.
More than one in four young adults (26%) received counseling or medication for a mental health concern in 2022, up from 18% three years ago, a higher rate than any other age group for adults in 2022, according to an analysis of the most recent available National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data.
Other age groups also saw increases in the proportion of people receiving treatment over this period, but the increases were smaller: 29% for adults aged 27-50, 13% for adults aged 51-64, and 1% for adults aged 65 and older.
While mental health service utilization was on the rise before the pandemic, the surge in utilization among young adults roughly coincided with the onset and most difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic (when school and work were significantly disrupted). Yet surveys show that many young adults with mental health disorders still report not receiving treatment.
According to the analysis, 23% of adults overall received mental health treatment in 2022, up from 19% in 2019. Specifically, the percentage of adults who said they received mental health counseling increased from 10% in 2019 to 13% in 2022. At the same time, the percentage of adults who said they took prescription medication for a mental health illness increased from 16% to 19%.
The analysis found that women were nearly twice as likely as men to report receiving mental health treatment in the past year (29% vs. 17% in 2022). Other studies suggest that men are less likely than women to seek mental health care, more likely to be uninsured, and less likely to report a usual source of health care.
Other important points include:
- Across racial and ethnic groups, the proportion of people who said they received mental health treatment in 2022 was highest among white adults (28%) and lowest among Asian adults (9%), compared to 16% of Hispanic and Black adults, respectively.
- Insured adults are more likely than uninsured adults to report receiving mental health care in the past year (25% vs. 11% in 2022).
