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

Mental health diagnoses, specifically anxiety and depression, increased among adolescents from 2016 to 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, said, "There's always been a mental health crisis in youth, but there has been an uptick since the pandemic."

Zachary Ginder, a psychologist and healthcare administrator in Southern California, said that younger generations view therapy differently. According to Ginder, "Gen Z and Millennial patients view therapy as more like a mental health tune-up." He also stated that "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."

Scott Falkowitz, medical director for Northwell's school mental health program and a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Cohen Children's Medical Center, emphasized the importance of connection. "We know that connectedness matters," Falkowitz said.

As of the end of 2025, 137 million Americans, which constitutes 40% of the population, reside in an area designated as having a mental health professional shortage, according to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 mandates that insurers and health plans offer mental health and substance use disorder coverage comparable to other medical care.

Why It Matters

The reported increase in adults seeking mental health services indicates a shift in utilization patterns over a five-year period. This rise in engagement with mental health support occurs alongside increasing diagnoses among younger populations. The continued demand for these services points to a broader challenge in healthcare, particularly given the ongoing shortage of mental health professionals across a large portion of the U.S. population.