Public perception of mental health in America has changed over the past few decades. Not too long ago, someone might feel ashamed at the mere thought of needing therapy, but social media today is full of young people openly talking about their struggles with mental illness, and the notion of seeing a therapist is normalized in films and television series.
While the topic is more prevalent than ever, stigma still plays a significant part in how mental health is viewed today. Here’s what the most recent surveys say about the public’s opinion on mental health and how it compares to past attitudes on the subject.
- Public perception has shifted dramatically — 88% of Americans now say having a mental health disorder is nothing to be ashamed of
- Yet stigma persists: 84% still recognize that the term “mental illness” carries negative connotations
- Legislation like the Mental Health Parity Act and ACA expanded access, but cost and provider availability remain top barriers
- Public funding works: about three-quarters of Americans now know about the 988 mental health crisis hotline
Past Attitudes About Mental Health
Historically, mental illness was viewed as something between frightening and divinely inspired. With their lack of understanding of hormones, neurotransmitters and chemical imbalances, many societies’ perceptions of mental health were placed within a religious or supernatural context. According to Andrew Scull, a scholar on the history of mental illness, societies tended to blame gods or demons for mental distress. Europe in the Middle Ages took a similar approach, seeing mental illness as a spiritual condition.
By the late Victorian era, perceptions of mental illness had shifted from the divinity-versus-curse model to one of amusement. It was common for asylums of the time to charge the public an admission fee to gawk at mentally ill inmates.
Attitudes shifted again in the 20th century when the medical model for understanding mental illness developed. For about the last hundred years, mental illness has been seen as a medical issue just like any bodily disease. Even so, the public still viewed mental illness as a sign of moral failing well into the early 20th century. Those who showed symptoms of a mental health condition would be treated with contempt, and people suffering from mental health conditions were ostracized by their communities and subjected to harsh treatment such as forced lobotomies and institutionalization.
Discussions about mental health were once considered taboo, and getting help for psychological issues was considered a sign of weakness. This societal attitude prevented many individuals from accessing the support and treatment they needed. The prevailing belief was that mental health problems were something you could overcome through willpower alone.
As society’s understanding of mental health advanced, so did public opinion. The past few decades saw a notable shift in public perceptions of mental health. Increased awareness campaigns, advocacy efforts and greater media coverage all played a part in challenging stigmas and misconceptions. Celebrities and public figures have openly discussed their struggles with mental health issues, helping normalize conversations around the topic.
Mental Health by the Numbers
The group of conditions recognized as mental illnesses affects a huge number of people. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans, or just under 52 million, has some form of mental illness. These range in severity from mild depression to disabling schizophrenia. Despite the high numbers, many people still have moralistic attitudes toward those with mental illnesses. And while these conditions are generally no longer seen as bad, they still cause a significant amount of fear.
Much of the fear surrounding mental illness is well-intentioned, centering on legitimate concerns about self-harm. A major cross-sectional research project found most Americans view people with mental illness as dangerous to themselves or others. Paradoxically, this occurs at a time when roughly a third of Americans have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives.
How Is Mental Health Viewed Today?
U.S. legislation has made strides in addressing mental health issues, contributing to some of the changes in public attitudes. Laws such as the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Affordable Care Act expanded access to mental health services. A 2022 mental health survey ordered by The Suicide Prevention Resource Center revealed that 76% of Americans believe mental health is just as important as physical health. However, only a third of respondents thought the current health care system treats both equally.
In the past, seeing a therapist could be viewed as shameful. Now, more than half of the survey respondents indicated it was a sign of strength, but believed it was difficult to gain access to therapy. Some of the barriers mentioned include high costs and lack of accessibility. A small but significant minority did say receiving therapy was a sign of weakness, while others believed faith-based options were more appropriate.
In terms of personal experiences with mental health conditions, 67% of U.S. adults self-reported having experienced symptoms during their lifetime, a 10% increase from the survey’s 2018 results. Anxiety was the most commonly self-reported disorder, followed by depression, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Almost 9 in 10 adults report taking proactive steps such as getting enough sleep, meditating, eating healthy and exercising to improve their well-being. However, a significant proportion of respondents admitted to using unhealthy coping mechanisms such as oversleeping, drinking alcohol and using illicit substances.
The vast majority of adults view others talking about mental health struggles in a positive light. Openly sharing personal experiences was viewed as brave and helpful in ending stigma. About 12% of U.S. adults felt that sharing personal stories is attention-seeking, while 7% preferred that others keep their private struggles to themselves.
Around 92% of Americans said they would try to help if someone they knew was facing mental health struggles. Most respondents would encourage the person to seek professional help, but many would lend a compassionate ear to their loved ones as well.
More than half of Americans think the media plays a part in educating people on mental health issues. However, 38% of respondents believed the media exaggerated the mental health and suicide crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Half the respondents noted it’s been harder to access mental health treatment since the pandemic.
Key Statistics From Recent National Polls
Recent national polls give a similar picture of mental health in America. In a poll published in May 2025, the Harris Poll and the American Psychological Association showed about 88% of adults say having a mental health disorder is nothing to be ashamed of. However, nearly as many (84%) said they recognized the stigma still accompanying the term “mental illness.” Over a third of adults in the United States said they’d view someone differently if they found out the person had a mental illness.
In a 2024 Gallup mental health poll that looked at individuals’ mental health post-pandemic, researchers found about 75% of respondents rated their mental health as “excellent” or “good.” This is down from a record high of 89% in 2012. Among those seeking mental health services, about half said finding affordable care was the biggest barrier to treatment, and 42% reported difficulty finding a provider.
Fortunately, recent data show publicly funded resources have a positive impact on mental health outcomes. A 2025 NAMI-Ipsos poll showed awareness of 988, the mental health crisis hotline, is at an all-time high. About three-quarters of Americans have heard of the hotline, and 28% say they’re familiar with how it works. Fifty-four percent of respondents said the ability to speak to a mental health counselor right away was the biggest benefit of the service, while a quarter said not receiving a bill was vital. About 6% of respondents had used the hotline themselves, and 71% of those said they received some form of help.
Public Attitudes Toward Suicide Stigma
In the 2024 Public Perception of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Poll, researchers gained a clear picture of mental health and public opinion by determining how individuals view suicide. Of the respondents, about 90% said they believe suicide is often preventable. This shows a significant shift in perception compared to decades ago, when most people believed it was inevitable.
The poll also found that more than 60% of adults are comfortable talking openly to others about mental health. About 82% of people said they’d feel comfortable reaching out to someone if they experienced thoughts of suicide, up from 73% in 2018.
Even so, most adults surveyed (71%) would feel uncomfortable talking about suicide with someone who’s experiencing suicidal thoughts. Of those people, 26% said they didn’t have enough knowledge on the subject, while 27% believed they wouldn’t know the right thing to say. This highlights the importance of increased awareness and education on suicide.
Where Support for Mental Illness Comes From
More than anything else, those with mental illnesses need support from other people. This could be a kind word at a critical moment, or it might be regular medication and a safe place to live. In the United States, the support that’s available is highly dependent on public perception of mental illness — these mental attitudes drive support funding and volunteer efforts in certain directions.
Family Support
Family is the first place many people with a mental illness turn to for support. Family members play a key role in noticing the early signs of a mental illness, and their influence can encourage a loved one to seek help early on. Continuing support is often needed to ensure a loved one is taking the necessary medication and seeing their doctor regularly.
Family support for people with mental illness is limited by the social stigma of these conditions. Some families feel guilty when a loved one is diagnosed with a condition, as if they did something wrong and caused it. Other families reject the medical model entirely and seek nonmedical treatments. While there may be some positive effects from this, there’s no evidence that anything outside scientific medicine genuinely helps.
Community Support
Support from the community comes in several forms. Churches play a large role in supporting members of their fellowship who have a mental illness. Various volunteer and nonprofit organizations can also help out with home visits and meal deliveries, for instance.
Public opinion on mental illness can hamper these groups’ efforts to support the individuals who need assistance. A general fear of mental illness, for example, may keep some otherwise good people from volunteering at a shelter. Cash and other donations may also be lacking for some nonprofits in this field.
Institutional Support
Institutional support is available for people with a mental illness, often as a last resort. Public health systems can usually connect patients with a mental illness with appropriate specialists, but this is expensive. Universities that receive federal funding almost always have a student mental health officer on campus, along with a 24-hour hotline. Jails, prisons and other custodial institutions also frequently have a mental health professional on staff or on call.
No single institution can be expected to pick up all the slack, of course. Funding is always a concern for agencies charged with helping the mentally ill. Chronic understaffing and little to no earmarked funding tend to hurt these institutions in their work.
The Importance of Challenging Stigma
There’s a growing recognition among Americans that mental health is an essential part of our well-being. Efforts to promote mental health awareness and support have led to increased access to resources and services, as well as greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention.
Recent surveys show positive changes in how mental health is viewed today, though stigma still exists when it comes to the public perception of mental health. A small minority of Americans still view people with mental health conditions through a lens of fear and discrimination. Stigma creates barriers to seeking help by keeping people reluctant to acknowledge their struggles or reach out for support.
The stigma associated with public opinions on mental illness can be damaging in concrete ways. People with a history of mental health issues may be effectively barred from working in certain professions — these include security guards, firefighters, doctors, nurses and childcare workers, to name a few. A history of mental illness might also interfere with a background check, getting insurance or even starting a personal relationship.
At the heart of much of this stigma is the fear of violence. It’s commonly believed that people with mental illnesses can’t control their violent impulses or might unpredictably hurt themselves. This is partly because people with mental illness sometimes only become visible after a violent crime makes the news, which contradicts the prevalence of mental illnesses of all kinds and the relative rarity of violent episodes.
For people with mental illness but little money or family support, the picture is often even more bleak. Many endure endless rounds of hospitalization, incarceration and homelessness. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics published a 2021 report indicating 43% of individuals in state prisons and 23% of those in federal prisons have a history of mental illness.
Public attitudes toward mental health have come a long way, evolving from fear and ignorance to greater compassion and understanding. The shift in perspective can help people recognize that mental health issues are part of the human experience, not a reflection of personal weakness. Increased awareness can lead to better outcomes, as it makes people more likely to reach out for support.
It’s heartening to know many groups are actively working to change public perceptions. The American Psychiatric Association, for instance, has spent decades making efforts to limit harmful stereotypes about mental illnesses. The World Psychiatric Association also works to dispel myths and end discrimination surrounding schizophrenia through its Open the Doors program — an international program that funds workshops for police officers, medical professionals, educators and members of the public in over 25 countries.
Additionally, challenging stigma may promote early interventions and improve mental health outcomes on a societal level. When people are comfortable seeking support at the initial signs of distress, early intervention may prevent their struggles from escalating into more severe conditions. That matters because more than half of U.S. adults with a mental illness still do not receive treatment in any given year — sometimes because the condition has gone undiagnosed, sometimes because of barriers like cost, access, or lingering stigma.
Finding Help for Mental Health Concerns
If you’re struggling with your mental health, we can help. Our experienced and compassionate team of counselors at FHE Health is ready to discuss your concerns 24-7. Get in touch today or learn more about our admissions process to start your journey toward better mental health.
