Poll: 37% of Americans rate mental health as ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ going into new year

According to results of a recent poll, 37% of Americans rated their mental health as “fair” or “poor,” up from 31% a year ago, with 26% reporting that they anticipate experiencing more stress as the new year begins, up from 20% a year ago.

The responses come from the latest Healthy Minds Monthly Poll, conducted by the American Psychiatric Association through Morning Consult from Dec. 7-8, which elicited responses from 2,212 United States adults.

“Americans are telling us that they are concerned about their mental health going into the New Year and we must continue to prioritize our physical and mental wellness as a society,” APA President Rebecca W. Brendel, MD, JD, stated in a release from APA. “It’s concerning any time we hear Americans say that they are more stressed out and that their mental health is worse, and we know that there are many contributing causes, including economic uncertainty and another season of respiratory illnesses.”

Among respondents who planned on resolutions relating to mental health, 65% said they’d exercise more, 45% revealed they were planning to meditate, 38% said they would see a therapist, 28% planned on journaling and 23% planned to use a mental health app.

Anxieties about the turn of the new year were also a hot topic, with 64% of respondents revealing personal finances (up from 58% a year ago) were a chief concern. Uncertainty about what 2023 will bring (55%, compared with 54% last year), physical health (49%, up from 44% in 2021), and relationships with friends and family (31%, up from 28% last year) were also causes for worry.

“Focusing on our mental health is so important in stressful times, and we are in stressful times,” APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, MD, MPA, said in the release. “Self-care is important, but it’s promising to see that nearly two in five people are considering therapy in 2023.”