Americans’ self-reported mental health has reached its lowest level in 24 years, with younger adults — especially women — experiencing the sharpest declines, according to a March 13 Gallup report.
The survey, conducted in partnership with West Health, is based on responses from 1,001 U.S. adults collected from Nov. 6-20, 2024.
Four survey findings:
1. Seventy-fix percent of adults described their mental health as “good” or “excellent,” compared to 85% in 2001. This figure peaked at 89% in 2012.
2. The proportion of adults assessing their mental health as “excellent,” specifically, has decreased significantly, from 43% in 2001 to 31% in 2024.
3. The decline was most severe among young adults, particularly women. Only 15% of women ages 18-29 polled between 2020 and 2024 rated their mental health as “excellent.” This figure is down 33 percentage points from 2010-14.
4. While mental health ratings worsened across all demographics, Gallup noted that historically higher-rated groups — including college graduates, middle- and upper-income Americans and nonreligious Americans — reported particularly steep drops.
View the full report here.
