Americans Not Seeking Mental Health Care

Wednesday was World Mental Health Day, an international day of awareness first started in 1992. About 20 percent of Americans experience mental illness, with 1 in 25 experiencing a serious mental illness. Despite the prevalence of mental illness, many people suffer without seeking treatment.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health surveyed 1,000 US respondents on why they did not receive mental health services in the United States. The cost of treatment was the biggest barrier for those who did not get treatment, with just over 40 percent of respondents citing that as an obstacle to care.