One-quarter of U.S. adults want to improve their mental health in 2024
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Key takeaways:
- Three-quarters of Americans are making New Year’s resolutions for 2024.
- Exercise, meditation and spirituality are the most common practices respondents want to focus on in the new year.
Focusing on mental health is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions U.S. adults are making for 2024, according to a press release from the American Psychiatric Association.
In a Healthy Minds Monthly poll of 2,202 adults conducted for the APA by Morning Council, from Dec. 2 to Dec.4, 76% of respondents said they plan to make a New Year’s resolution for 2024. The most popular resolutions were related to physical fitness (39%), finances (34%), mental health (28%) and diet (26%). Other resolution topics included spirituality, relationships, traveling, hobbies, organization, career and philanthropy, according to the release.
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Among those who are making mental health-related resolutions, 67% plan to exercise more, 49% plan to meditate, 40% plan to focus on spirituality and 35% plan to see a therapist. Other plans include taking a break from social media, journaling, using a mental health app, visiting a psychiatrist and forest bathing — the practice of spending time in nature.
Nearly half (44%) of young adults aged 18 to 34 years said they planned to make a mental health-related New Year’s resolution, while among people aged 65 years and over, just 7% planned to make a resolution related to mental health.
“Many see the new year as a time for a new chance, or to try something different, which is great,” APA President Petros Levounis, MD, MA, said in the release “At the same time, in mental health — just like physical health — maintenance and care matter. Preserve your healthy routines, maintain your relationships with loved ones and take good care of yourself, as well as the people around you.”