Nearly one-quarter of U.S. adults report having visited a psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist, or some other mental health professional in the past 12 months, according to a Gallup poll taken Nov. 9 to Dec. 2.
This is a "sizable uptick in mental health visits" since the question was last asked in 2004, when 13% of U.S. adults said they had seen a mental health professional. At that time, a record-high 51% of Americans rated their mental health as excellent, 20 points higher than today, Gallup reported.
U.S. adults averaged 3.2 mental health visits in 2022, compared with 1.5 in 2004 and 1.1 in 2001. Thirteen percent of Americans visited a mental health professional five or more times in 2022, compared with 6% in 2004 and 5% in 2001, Gallup notes.
The increase in therapy visits may be related to the pandemic, less stigma surrounding mental health, better insurance coverage, or other factors, Gallup observes.
U.S. adults who rate their own mental health negatively, on balance, are more likely to report that they have seen a mental health professional than those who rate their mental health positively.
Those who rate their mental health as only fair or poor say they saw a mental health professional an average of 8.1 times in 2022. This compares with an average 1.6 visits in the past year among those who rate their mental health as excellent or good.
Younger adults and women, who are more likely than their counterparts to rate their own mental health negatively, are also more likely to say they have sought mental healthcare in the past year, Gallup reported.
U.S. adults 18-34 years old report an average of 5.9 mental health visits in the past year, compared with those 3.7 visits among those aged 35-54 and 1.0 among those 55 and older. Women report an average 3.7 visits in 2022 compared with 2.1 for men.
Americans' positive self-assessments of their mental health are the lowest in more than two decades of Gallup polling. In all, 31% of U.S. adults describe their mental health or emotional well-being as "excellent," the worst rating by three percentage points.
Another 44% of Americans rate their mental health as "good," and the 75% combined excellent and good rating is the lowest on record and 10 points shy of the average since 2001, Gallup says. In addition, 17% of U.S. adults describe their mental health as "only fair" and 7% as "poor." The latter figure is the highest in Gallup's trend.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans' "excellent" ratings of their mental health averaged 45%.
The latest three-point dip in excellent mental health evaluations, from a Nov. 9-Dec. 2 Gallup poll, suggests that some ill effects of the pandemic remain, including economic concerns. People with household incomes under $40,000 are more likely to have fair or poor self-assessments of their mental health.
Gallup concludes its mental health survey report by writing: "While majorities of Americans continue to rate their mental and physical health as excellent or good, the percentages saying each is excellent are the lowest on record. Mental health ratings remain lower than their prepandemic levels. At a time when Americans’ self-reports of mental health are their worst in over two decades, more U.S. adults — particularly those who are younger — are seeking help."
Gallup interviews a minimum of 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia using a dual-frame design, which includes both landline and cellphone numbers. No margin of error was provided.
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