Overall well-being is influenced by your financial situation, relationships, work, sense of purpose and security, but where you live and your community’s healthcare system also play a vital role. In an analysis released last month, Universal Drugstore, an online pharmacy, ranked the best and worst states to live in for mental health after evaluating dozens of data points including the prevalence of mental illness and the cost of care.
Montana came in first place for best place to live for mental health, with a score of 8.06 out of 10. The state has the lowest number in terms of population of “mentally unhealthy adults” who cannot afford treatment, and residents are the second least mentally ill. days in 2022.
In contrast, Nevada is ranked the worst state for mental health with a score of 2.06 out of 10. The Silver State placed in the top 5 for several measures, including the highest number of sick days per mental health and the majority of young people reporting depressive episodes. Nevada also has one of the lowest ratios of psychologists to residents in the entire nation.
Breaking it down further, South Dakota, ranked fourth best state for mental health, had the fewest mental health sick days reported (3), while West Virginia and Louisiana, ranked 34th and 44th, reported the greatest number of days (6). Adults in New Jersey, ranked 16th, have the lowest rates of mental illness diagnoses (16%), while adults living in Utah, ranked 25th, have the highest rates of mental illnesses (27%) . Oregon, ranked 50th, ranked as the second-worst state for mental health with a score of 2.89 out of 10, tied with New Mexico, ranked 42nd, for the highest rate nationally of young people suffering from depressive episodes (19%); the lowest is in Washington, D.C. (11%). Washington, ranked 13th, also has the highest percentage of psychologists compared to Alabama, Maine, Georgia and Louisiana, which have seven per 100,000 residents.
The researchers used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Kaiser Family Foundation, Mental Health America, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to compile the ranking. They compared each state’s ratio of psychologists to residents, the average number of mental health sick days taken, the prevalence of mental illness for adults and youth, the number of available beds and mental health facilities, and the cost of prescription drugs.
The worst states to live in for mental health:
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Oklahoma
- Arizona
- Washington
- Texas
- Alabama
- Louisiana
- Georgia
- New Mexico
Best States to Live in for Mental Health:
- Montana
- Vermont
- Massachusetts
- South Dakota
- Rhode Island
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
- North Dakota
- Nebraska and Iowa (tied)
- Arkansas