Mental Health Awareness Month Highlights Treatment Gaps Nationwide

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) calls on Americans everywhere to break the silence. For the tens of millions of people who need mental health treatment but aren’t getting it or don’t know where to start, that silence can cost lives.

NAMI’s theme for 2026 especially targets mental health stigma. By sharing lived experiences and learning  from and leaning on one another, people create spaces where they feel supported and find healing. It’s a message that arrives with striking urgency this year, given the wide gap remains between need and care.

The Scale of the Mental Health Crisis in America

In 2024, more than 23% of U.S. adults—that’s 60+ million people—experienced a mental illness. Yet only a quarter of these individuals reported an unmet need for mental health treatment.

Barriers to access are daunting. As of 2025, 40% of Americans live in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, and only 27% find their needs met. In part, that’s due to a shortage of professionals. One survey found that 46% of psychologists had no openings for new patients, and only 20% accepted Medicaid or low-cost insurance.

The treatment gap is especially stark for communities of color. While 58% of Whites access services to improve mental health, only 39% of Blacks and 33% of Asians do. Rural Americans face additional barriers, with an estimated 60% living in areas with a shortage of mental health experts.

Mental Health & Addiction

For many Americans, mental illness and substance use don’t arrive separately, but together. Among adults with mental health conditions, 34-47% also had issues misusing drugs  in 2024. This is what behavioral health professionals call dual diagnosis, or co-occurring disorders.

Tackling dual diagnoses cases can be difficult. Treating only one condition while ignoring the other dramatically reduces the chances of lasting recovery. Conditions like depression can fuel drug misuse and vice versa. Comprehensive and integrated care that addresses all conditions at once is the gold standard of care.

Mental Health Awareness Month Matters for Treatment Seekers

During Mental Health Awareness Month, NAMI reaffirms its commitment to building understanding of mental illness, increasing access to treatment and ensuring that all know they’re not alone.

More than one-third of Americans made New Year’s resolutions to improve their mental health in 2026. The numbers are up 5% from the year before, with 58% of young adults among those setting such goals. Awareness is clearly growing. But awareness alone doesn’t open a door to a residential treatment center or a dual diagnosis program. Action does.

For people living with a mental health condition or co-occurring addiction, May is the month to seek an individualized care program. Residential treatment centers offer immersive, round-the-clock support for those with acute needs. A wide range of outpatient behavioral health programs provide structured therapy and medication management while allowing patients to stay at home.

Treatment Can Start Now

If you or someone you love has delayed getting help, Mental Health Awareness Month is a reminder that treatment works, and that waiting makes the road longer.
Call 800-908-4823 (Sponsored) to speak with a treatment specialist about mental health treatment facilities and dual diagnosis programs. Or, feel free to look through our directory for organizations big and small across the nation for care that meets your needs.

Author

Courtney Myers, MS

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Courtney Myers has more than 15 years of experience in online writing and editing. Since graduating from N.C. State University with an MS in Technical Communication, she’s helped clients improve their visibility and reach through expert-level content creation. She specializes in addiction recovery and behavioral healthcare topics.

Editor

Peter Lee, PhD

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Peter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history during the Cold War. His primary focus is the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century. He has published widely on how the public has used popular culture as a mechanism to address political and social shifts throughout time