How many people in the United States experience serious mental illness?

According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2019 an estimated 13.1 million adults had serious mental illness (SMI) in the past year. This corresponds to 5.2 percent of adults.

Here is a breakdown of SMI in specific age groups:

• Age 18 to 25 = 2.9 million (8.6 percent of people in this age group)
• Age 26 to 49 = 6.8 million (6.8 percent)
• Age 50 or older = 3.4 million (2.9 percent)

The three diagnoses most commonly associated with SMI are:

• Bipolar disorder
• Major depressive disorder
• Schizophrenia

For more information on statistics around SMI, reference and share these infographics.

• Cost to Society
• Prevalence
• Treatment
• Substance Use

Learn all about the impact of SMI in this short video.

REFERENCE

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP20-07-01-001, NSDUH Series H-55). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.