Frequent Mental Distress - Women in United States

United States

A healthy mental state is essential to positive health and well-being. Frequent mental distress, defined by 14 or more days of poor mental health a month, aims to capture the population experiencing persistent and likely severe mental health issues. There is a strong link between the 14-day period and clinically diagnosed mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Populations suffering from severe mental illness and frequent mental distress have a higher prevalence of risky health behaviors, including smoking, alcohol use, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity. These health behaviors increase the likelihood of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Chronic stressors such as housing insecurity, food insecurity and insufficient sleep are also related to frequent mental distress. In severe cases, poor mental health can lead to suicide, one of the leading causes of death in the United States. 

Poor mental health can impact financial health with costly treatments and missed economic opportunities. In 2019, the direct costs for treatment of mental health disorders among women in the U.S. totaled $61.5 billion. Among pregnant women and their children, untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders cost the U.S. roughly $14 billion.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of frequent mental distress is higher among:

• Women ages 18-24 compared with women ages 25-44.
• Multiracial and American Indian/Alaska Native women compared with Hispanic and Asian women.
• Women with less education compared with college graduates. 
• Women with annual household incomes below $25,000, who have a prevalence almost double that of women with incomes of $75,000 or more. 
• Women living in non-metropolitan areas compared with women in metropolitan areas.
• Women with independent living difficulty, who have a prevalence more than four times that of women without a disability. 
• LGBQ+ women, who have a prevalence more than twice that of straight women.

Although occasional short periods of mental distress and a few bad mental health days may be unavoidable, more prolonged and severe episodes are treatable and potentially preventable through early intervention. Parity laws that expand and protect insurance coverage for mental health care are associated with lower out-of-pocket costs, lower suicide rates and increased use of health care services. Collaborative care models, which connect primary care providers and mental health specialists, are also effective in managing depressive disorders. 

Surveillance systems for mental health issues — including frequent mental distress — help prioritize and tailor mental health promotion, mental illness prevention and treatment programs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a resources page for mental health, including a mental health services locator.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives related to mental health, including: 

• Increasing the proportion of primary care visits where adolescents and adults are screened for depression.
• Increasing the proportion of adults with depression who get treatment.
• Increasing the proportion of adults with serious mental illness who get treatment.
• Increasing the proportion of homeless adults with mental health problems who get mental health services.

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