More Than 1 in 5 U.S. Adults Lives With a Mental Illness

Mental illness is far more common than many people assume. The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health states that mental illnesses are common in the United States and around the world, and estimates that more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness. In 2022 that meant 59.3 million adults aged 18 or older, or 23.1 percent of all U.S. adults. The figure covers a wide range. The institute explains that mental illnesses include many different conditions that vary in severity from mild to moderate to severe. It uses two broad categories. Any mental illness covers all recognized mental, behavioral or emotional disorders, whatever their impact. Serious mental illness is the smaller group whose disorder substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. The estimates come from a national survey and count conditions present within the past year.