6.9%
2025 (latest)
SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS, PAST YEAR
percent of adults aged 18 or older · 2008–2025 · lower is better · SAMHSA, National Survey on Drug Use and Health
3.7%
2008
7.8%
high · 2024
3.7%
low · 2008
+3.2 pts
since 2008
┊ dashed lines mark 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, adults aged 18 or older. 2008–2019 from the 2019 detailed tables' trend Table 10.3B; 2021 onward from the 2022/2024/2025 detailed tables. There is NO 2020 value: the 2020 survey was disrupted by the pandemic and SAMHSA says it is not comparable, and the 2021 redesign (web mode, new questions, new weighting) started a new baseline — SAMHSA advises against comparing 2021+ with earlier years, so the 2020 gap is a seam, not a missing year. Where a later release revised a year (2024 appears in both the 2024 and 2025 tables) the newer release wins. AMI and SMI are predictive-model estimates, not direct diagnoses. The 2025 release updated the mental illness model to align with DSM-5 and revised 2024 estimates; the 2023–2024 transition also crosses that model seam. Breaks: 2021 multimode redesign; 2020 collection disrupted.
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-survey-drug-use-and-health
- https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29394/NSDUHDetailedTabs2019/NSDUHDetailedTabs2019.zip
- https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt42728/NSDUHDetailedTabs2022/NSDUHDetailedTabs2022/2022-nsduh-detailed-tables.zip
- https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt56484/NSDUHDetailedTabs2024/NSDUHDetailedTabs2024/2024-nsduh-detailed-tables-072325.zip
- https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt57152/2025-nsduh-detailed-tables/2025-nsduh-detailed-tables.zip
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Societal-Health
Data
| Year | Serious Mental Illness, Past Year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.9% | −0.9 pts |
| 2024 | 7.8% | +2.1 pts |
| 2023 | 5.7% | −0.3 pts |
| 2022 | 6.0% | +0.3 pts |
| 2021 | 5.7% | +0.5 pts |
| 2019 | 5.2% | +0.6 pts |
| 2018 | 4.6% | +0.1 pts |
| 2017 | 4.5% | +0.3 pts |
| 2016 | 4.2% | +0.2 pts |
| 2015 | 4.0% | −0.1 pts |
| 2014 | 4.1% | −0.1 pts |
| 2013 | 4.2% | +0.1 pts |
| 2012 | 4.1% | +0.2 pts |
| 2011 | 3.9% | −0.2 pts |
| 2010 | 4.1% | +0.4 pts |
| 2009 | 3.7% | +0.0 pts |
| 2008 | 3.7% | — |
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