United Health Foundation launched America’s Health Rankings Health Equity in Focus: 2023 Mental and Behavioral Health Data Brief, highlighting disparities in mental and behavioral health.
According to the study, American Indian/Alaska Native adults and youth, individuals with disabilities, and adults who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) experience wider disparities than other populations.
As the country recovers from the pandemic, mental and behavioral health challenges impact individuals. But America’s most at-risk populations are facing these challenges at far greater rates than other groups.
United Health Foundation’s brief analyzed 15 mental and behavioral health measures using data pulled from four national public health surveys over a 10-year period (2011-2021).
The report showed the following disparities:
- American Indian/Alaska Native adults experienced 3.4x higher of substance use disorder compared to Asian adults in 2021
- Adults with disabilities were more likely to experience frequent mental distress and were more likely to have a major depressive episode in the past year compared to adults without disabilities
- LBG adults experienced 4.9x higher rates of suicidal thoughts and were 3.9x more likely to have a major depressive episode in the past year compared to heterosexual adults
- Adult females were diagnosed with depression at a rate 1.8x higher than men
- Young adults age 18-25 experienced 6.4x higher rates of suicidal thoughts and 4.0x higher rates of having had a major depressive episode in the past year
