What you should know about Florida's Mental Health Infrastructure

According to the American Psychological Association and Mental Health America, Florida ranked 49th in the country for access to mental health care/services in 2022 and 2023. It is estimated that 158 million U.S. residents (almost half of our population) live in an area with a mental health workforce shortage. 76% of Americans are dissatisfied with the current available mental health treatments in the U.S.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), an organization I proudly volunteer with and support, 1 in 5 U.S. adults and 1 in 6 U.S. youth (ages 6-17) experience a mental illness each year. 54.7% of those with a mental illness do not receive treatment, and more than 1 in 4 do not receive adequate treatment. This is partly due to the associated costs.

2.89 million Floridians have a diagnosed mental health condition, while 6.4 million live in a community that does not have enough mental health professionals. 50% of all mental health conditions begin by age 14, while 75% of all mental health conditions begin by age 24.

According to Forbes Advisor, Florida ranks 4th in the country on their list of "Worst States For Mental Health Care 2024." Reasonings for this include:

• Florida has the fourth highest percentage of adults who have a mental health disorder and cannot see a doctor due to cost (30.1%).

• The Sunshine State stands out as having the seventh fewest mental health treatment centers with 11.88 per 10,000 businesses.

• The state also has the seventh highest percentage of adults with a mental illness who do not receive any treatment (58.4%).

• Florida has the 12th highest percentage of adults with a mental illness who are uninsured (13.6%).

• The state ranks 12th highest for the percentage of youth with private health insurance that does not cover mental or emotional problems (11.4%).

32.3% of adults in the state reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorders, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Written within Whitaker's research paper, the American School Counselor Association recommends a 250:1 student-to-counselor ratio. Florida's average student-to-counselor ratio is over double this, being 554:1. Counselor caseloads are 78% higher than suggested.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also shares there were an estimated 1.7 million suicide attempts nationwide in 2021. On average, 1 person in the U.S. dies by suicide every 11 minutes. In Florida, 3,567 lives were lost to suicide and 610,000 adults had thoughts of suicide in the last year. Suicide is the 2nd leading COD for youth ages 10-34.

These are several of many statistics that can be found online and within research papers. Most of the ones shared above are generalized, however, there are other statistics made specific to certain mental health illnesses. Due to increased stigma, several mental health illnesses (not mentioned above) seek out even less treatment.

Serve Our State's primary goal is to encourage people of ALL ages and walks of life to find a positive relationship with community service, focusing on the free mental health benefits it provides! With the lack of current mental health resources and professionals statewide, this is one solution to make a difference, engage in open conversations, and bridge the gap.