U.S. — 14% of U.S. adults received counseling or therapy in the last year, according to 2024 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This figure marks an increase from 9.5% in 2019.

Mental health diagnoses, specifically anxiety and depression, increased among adolescents between 2016 and 2023, according to the National Survey of Children's Health. Consuelo Cagande, Director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital, stated, "There's always been a mental health crisis in youth, but there has been an uptick since the pandemic."

Psychologist and healthcare administrator Zachary Ginder noted that "Gen Z and Millennial patients view therapy as more like a mental health tune-up." Ginder also said, "There's a significant proportion of mental health videos where it's either missing a piece or it's completely false."

As of late 2025, 137 million Americans resided in areas with mental health professional shortages, according to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. This figure represents 40% of the U.S. population. Scott Falkowitz, medical director for Northwell's school mental health program and child and adolescent psychiatrist, observed, "There are these major shortages, especially in some of the communities who really do face the most need, like rural areas and underserved populations."

Regarding therapeutic relationships, Ginder stated, "The relationship between the therapist and the care recipient is much more important than the specific modality, as long as the modality is evidence-based." Falkowitz also emphasized, "We know that connectedness matters."

Why It Matters

The increase in adults seeking mental health services and the rise in adolescent diagnoses occur alongside persistent shortages of mental health professionals. Despite laws like the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which mandates comparable coverage for mental health and substance use disorders to other medical care, a large portion of the U.S. population lives in areas with insufficient access to mental health support. This situation presents challenges for individuals seeking care as demand rises.