Mental Health
Mental health is an essential part of overall health and well-being, influencing how people think, feel, act, and relate to others. While everyone experiences challenges that can affect their mental health, some individuals may develop mental illnesses that can impact mood, thinking, behavior, and daily functioning.
About 22% of U.S. adults are affected by mental illness, including depression and anxiety. More than 5% of adults experience serious mental illness (SMI), a level of mental illness that substantially interferes with major life activities, including bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia. If left untreated, these can have a detrimental impact on individuals and their families.
SAMHSA leads federal efforts to promote treatment and recovery of mental illness and SMI to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities, so that all people in the U.S. are able live fulfilling, independent and productive lives.
What is Mental Health?
Discover the ways SAMHSA is committed to promoting treatment and recovery of mental disorders and is bringing hope to adults who have SMI and children with serious emotional disturbances (SED).
Resources for states, territories, tribes, and mental health professionals.
Suicide takes precious lives. It can affect anyone, anywhere at any time, devastating families and even entire communities. But it is not inevitable. There is hope.
Find behavioral health resources for communities that help them prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impact of disasters.
Trauma and violence impact the behavioral health of individuals, families, and communities and require a healing and recovery process.
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