TY - JOUR
T1 - Mental health crises and help-seeking among US adults in 2024-2025
AU - Anderson, Andrew
AU - Eisenberg, Matthew D.
AU - Kennedy-Hendricks, Alene
AU - Castrucci, Brian C.
AU - Galea, Sandro
AU - Ettman, Catherine K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Project HOPE - The People-To-People Health Foundation, Inc. 2025.
PY - 2025/9/1
Y1 - 2025/9/1
N2 - Introduction: Mental health crises—including suicidal thoughts and other acute psychological distress—are pressing public health concerns in the United States. However, little is known about how many people experience a crisis, who is most affected, or what services they seek. Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data from wave 6 of the CLIMB study, collected March 27-April 30, 2025 (N = 1916). We estimated past-year prevalence of self-reported mental health crises, identified demographic and clinical correlates, and examined help-seeking behaviors and barriers to care. Results: Nearly 1 in 10 adults (8.9%) reported a mental health crisis in the past year. Prevalence was highest among adults aged 18-29 (15.1%) and among Black (11.8%) and Hispanic (10.5%) individuals. Mental health crises were more common among those with probable depression (22.4%), PTSD (22.4%), or housing instability (37.9%). Among those who sought help (72.6%), some contacted the 988 hotline (17.5%) and fewer used a mobile crisis team (9.9%); most relied on health care providers (53.2%) or family and friends (39.8%). Conclusion: Mental health crises are common but often go unaddressed by formal services. Expanding public awareness and improving access to timely, trusted support remain key challenges.
AB - Introduction: Mental health crises—including suicidal thoughts and other acute psychological distress—are pressing public health concerns in the United States. However, little is known about how many people experience a crisis, who is most affected, or what services they seek. Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data from wave 6 of the CLIMB study, collected March 27-April 30, 2025 (N = 1916). We estimated past-year prevalence of self-reported mental health crises, identified demographic and clinical correlates, and examined help-seeking behaviors and barriers to care. Results: Nearly 1 in 10 adults (8.9%) reported a mental health crisis in the past year. Prevalence was highest among adults aged 18-29 (15.1%) and among Black (11.8%) and Hispanic (10.5%) individuals. Mental health crises were more common among those with probable depression (22.4%), PTSD (22.4%), or housing instability (37.9%). Among those who sought help (72.6%), some contacted the 988 hotline (17.5%) and fewer used a mobile crisis team (9.9%); most relied on health care providers (53.2%) or family and friends (39.8%). Conclusion: Mental health crises are common but often go unaddressed by formal services. Expanding public awareness and improving access to timely, trusted support remain key challenges.
KW - 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
KW - behavioral health services
KW - mental health crisis
KW - psychiatric emergencies
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105024720763
U2 - 10.1093/haschl/qxaf166
DO - 10.1093/haschl/qxaf166
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105024720763
SN - 2976-5390
VL - 3
JO - Health Affairs Scholar
JF - Health Affairs Scholar
IS - 9
M1 - qxaf166
ER -