Americans say the U.S. Has a Mental Health Crisis

According to recent polling data, Americans think the U.S. is facing a mental health crisis. Credit: Daniel Reche, Pexels.

According to an October poll conducted by CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), 90% of American adults said the U.S. is currently facing a mental health crisis. More than half of Americans also believe children and adults are not getting the mental health services they need. 

In July, Congress launched a new mental health hotline using the three-digit number 988. The number was created to quickly connect people to services like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Instead of relying on 911, the 988 hotline was created with the goal to better address the needs of those in a mental health crisis. 

“By implementing 988, we are providing these individuals, as well as their families and friends, an easy-to-remember number that will give them access to the services they need,” N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a July press release.  

However, the CNN/KFF poll which surveyed about 2,000 Americans found that more than half of them knew nothing at all about the 988 hotline. Once people were told what the number was, 85% said they would be somewhat likely or very likely to call the three-digit number if they or a loved one were experiencing a mental health crisis. More than half of Americans said calling 911 would hurt someone in a mental health crisis because police aren’t trained to deal with those scenarios. 

While 51% of Americans said severe mental illness in adults is a crisis, even more (55%) said the same about children and teenagers. With a growing number of Americans concerned with the mental health of adolescents, the Biden administration announced more than $280 million in mental health funding as part of the anti-gun violence law passed by Congress this summer. The grants were enacted on Oct. 3 and are intended to expand access to kids in schools and hospitals. 

"We know children and youth can’t do their best learning when they’re experiencing depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges whether they stem from community violence, social isolation from the pandemic, loss of loved ones, bullying, harassment or something else,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a press release. “This funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will help schools raise the bar for student mental health by recruiting, preparing, hiring and training highly qualified school-based mental health providers.” 

Schools will now be given grants to hire more mental health care providers amidst a growing psychiatrist shortage.  More than half of Americans agree that the cost of mental health care and the lack of healthcare providers such as counselors or therapists is a big problem. Americans also prefer in person care. Many mental health providers began offering online telehealth services at the start of the pandemic, but 44% of Americans said they would prefer to receive care in person. 

Although Americans are divided on many issues in the United States, most people agree that the country needs to do better in addressing mental health concerns. According to the CNN/ KFF poll, more than half of Americans believe family members, the government and healthcare providers should have a major role in helping address mental health issues in the U.S. today. 

Anyone in a mental health emergency should immediately call 988, 911 or the national suicide lifeline. Marist College Students looking for mental health resources can reach out to Counseling Services at 845-575-3314 or access the office in Midrise 113.