The taboo that surrounding mental health has slowly been fading away as more and more people open up about their struggles with anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. This has resulted in more support, increased funding, and a diminished stigma. But how does our state of Florida rank compared to others in terms of mental health? Here is how Florida stacks up against other states according to Mental Health America.
Mental Health American (MHA) ranked all 50 states for adult mental health. States with higher rankings had lower reporting cases of mental illness and higher rates of access to mental health resources. Lower rankings indicate a higher rate of mental illness and lower rates of health care.
Florida ranked in the middle at number 24 overall for adult mental health.
Adults with any mental illness (AMI) were also ranked. AMI is defined as having any diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder other than a developmental or substance abuse disorder.
Florida actually has one of the lowest percentages of adult mental illness relevance at 16.77%. This makes the state rank number 6 overall in terms of prevalence.
Drug addiction is a major issue in the US right now with the country going through an opioid epidemic. This has increased the need for addiction treatments such as Suboxone treatment. Around 8.47% of American adults have substance abuse or alcohol problems.
Florida ranks at number 18 for alcohol dependency and drug abuse.
A high number of adults in the US report having suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Around 9.6 million adults struggle with this. Florida actually has one of the lowest rates of suicidal thoughts in the country.
Florida ranks at number 3.
While Florida might have lower rates of mental illness, unfortunately, it is one of the worst states for mental health funding. Many people cannot seek treatment for their illnesses due to lack of resources, high costs, or other barriers.
Florida was ranked 48, making it one of the worst states for treatment rates.
