The 2025 State of Mental Health in America report is out: What does it say about TN?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — This year’s “State of Mental Health in America” report from Mental Health America found that Tennessee has seen a high prevalence of mental illness, but lower rates of access to care in 2024. The report looked at the number of adults with mental illness or substance use disorders within the past year, people between six and 17 years old with major depressive episodes or serious thoughts of suicide, mental health workforce availability and cost or insurance barriers to mental health access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Tennessee was ranked 44 overall, and the state was 34 for overall prevalence of mental health issues. The Volunteer State came in at 42 overall access to care.
Here’s what else it had to say about mental health and access to mental health care in Tennessee: In all, the report found 1,441,000 adults in Tennessee experienced any mental illness within the past year, representing more than a quarter of the overall population. Mental Health America measured adults with mental illness, substance use disorder or serious thoughts of suicide.
Further, they analyzed the number of adults who reported 14 or more “mentally unhealthy days a month,” but who could not see doctors due to cost. They found that applied to 307,194 Tennesseans, placing the state at 40.
The organization analyzed data from 2022 and 2023 to look at the number of uninsured adults with any mental illness, and Tennessee neared the bottom of the list at 49 with 272,000 adults falling into the category. Additionally, combined data from the same time period revealed that 166,000 Tennesseans with mental illness reported unmet needs for treatment.
If you are contemplating self harm, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, 24 hours a day. The analysis also looked at the number of adults with serious thoughts of suicide within the past year, noting that in 2024, 5.50% of adults reported suicidal ideation across the U.S.
With 303,000 adults reporting serious thoughts of suicide in Tennessee, or 5.56% of adults, the Volunteer State came in at 33. Tennessee did stand out in Mental Health America’s analysis on the number of adults suffering from substance use disorder, with just 16.88% of the adult population — or 919,000 Tennesseans — struggling with the disorder at least once within the past year.
That rate landed the Volunteer State at No. 9. With 73.22% of those with substance abuse disorder needing treatment, but not receiving it, Tennessee landed at seven based on combined data from 2022 and 2023.
The report noted that nationwide, strides had been made in reducing barriers to care for substance use disorder Several of the measures used in Mental Health America’s analysis for its adult ranking were used in the youth ranking, including looking at the number of youth with substance use disorder, serious thoughts of suicide or those who had at least one major depressive episode within the year. Access to care was similarly evaluated, with Mental Health America evaluating the number of young people who had private insurance that did not cover mental or emotional problems or those with major depressive episodes who did not receive mental health services.
Students who were identified as having emotional disturbance on their individualized education programs and the number of young people who did not have a preventive doctor’s visit within the past year were also evaluated. Tennessee came in at 42.
When taking a closer look at combined data from 2022 and 2023, Mental Health America found that 142,677 young people in the Volunteer State did not have a preventive doctor’s visit within the past year. In 2024, Mental Health America found that 11.30% of young people experienced a major depressive episode that severely affected their ability to function at work, in school or at home.
That’s an estimated 2.8 million young people across the U.S., the organization added. In Tennessee, 19.87% of young people reportedly experienced a major depressive episode, representing 108,000 children across the state, placing it at 32 in Mental Health America’s ranking.
In evaluating combined data for 2022 and 2023, the organization found that 63.70% of those who experienced a major depressive episode did not receive mental health services within the past year, placing Tennessee at 49. Mental Health America also found that 14.54% of young people suffered from serious thoughts of suicide within the past year, representing about 79,000 across the state.
As with its analysis of adults struggling with substance use disorder, Mental Health America placed Tennessee higher than in other evaluations of youth mental health at 20 — 8.25% of young people, or 45,000, suffered from substance use disorder within the past year. Tennessee also landed itself among the top 20 for youth flourishing when looking at data for 2022 and 2023.
The organization leaned on the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau for this definition, which includes curiosity and interest in learning new things, work to finish tasks they’d started and staying calm in the face of challenges. Sixty-one percent of Tennessee’s youth were found to be flourishing within the past year, representing 637,174 young people across the state.
With a ratio of 530 individuals in need for every mental health care provider in the state, Tennessee came in 46th place, but the state has started working toward closing healthcare gaps. In August, the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Servicesannouncedthe relaunch of a behavioral healthscholarshipto address a statewide workforce shortage.
Agencies and communities have also rallied to raise awareness about mental health at the local level. In August, the Mental Health Cooperativebroke groundon a state-of-the-art facility in Murfreesboro meant to better help address local needs.
In July, Metro leadersbroke groundon a 26-unit mental health facility in Inglewood meant to address both mental health care gaps and ongoing affordable housing concerns in the city. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a prevention network of 161 crisis centers that provides a 24/7, toll-free hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
If you or someone you know needs support now,call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.