Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings

• In 2009, there were an estimated 45.1 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with any mental illness in the past year. This represents 19.9 percent of all adults in this country. Among adults aged 18 or older in 2009, the percentage having serious mental illness (SMI) in the past year was 4.8 percent (11.0 million adults).

• Women aged 18 or older were more likely than men aged 18 or older to have past year any mental illness (23.8 vs. 15.6 percent) and SMI (6.4 vs. 3.2 percent).

• In 2009, an estimated 8.4 million adults (3.7 percent) aged 18 or older had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Among adults aged 18 or older, 2.2 million (1.0 percent) made suicide plans in the past year, and 1.0 million (0.5 percent) attempted suicide in the past year.

• Among the 45.1 million adults aged 18 or older with any mental illness in the past year, 19.7 percent (8.9 million adults) met criteria for substance dependence or abuse in that period compared with 6.5 percent (11.9 million adults) among those who did not have mental illness in the past year. Among the 11.0 million adults aged 18 or older with SMI in the past year, 25.7 percent also had past year substance dependence or abuse compared with 6.5 percent of adults who did not have mental illness.

• Among the 45.1 million adults aged 18 or older with any mental illness in 2009, 17.1 million (37.9 percent) received mental health services in the past year. Among the 11.0 million adults aged 18 or older with SMI in 2009, 6.6 million (60.2 percent) received mental health services in the past year.

• In 2009, 30.2 million adults (13.3 percent of the population 18 years or older) received mental health services during the past 12 months.

• Among the 2.8 million adults aged 18 or older in 2009 with both SMI and substance dependence or abuse in the past year, 62.4 percent received substance use treatment at a specialty facility or mental health treatment in that period. Included in the 62.4 percent are 13.5 percent who received both mental health treatment and specialty substance use treatment, 47.3 percent who received mental health treatment only, and 1.6 percent who received specialty substance use treatment only.

• In 2009, there were 2.0 million youths (8.1 percent of the population aged 12 to 17) who had major depressive episode (MDE) during the past year. Among youths aged 12 to 17 in 2009 who had past year MDE, 35.7 percent used illicit drugs in the past year compared with 18.0 percent among youths who did not have past year MDE.

• In 2009, 2.9 million youths aged 12 to 17 (12.0 percent) received treatment or counseling for problems with emotions or behavior in a specialty mental health setting (inpatient or outpatient care). The most common reason for receiving services among youths was feeling depressed (46.0 percent).

This National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report was prepared by the Division of Population Surveys, Office of Applied Studies (OAS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and by RTI International (a trade name of Research Triangle Institute), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Health, Fitness and Style, News and Issues, Health and Science, Issues, Senior Women Web, Sightings

Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings

More Articles