More than one in three Texans say they experience “severe mental illness” — the sixth-highest rate in the country.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and health organizations are continuing to fight stigma around mental illnesses while advocating for more support to those struggling with them. The 2025 theme is “In Every Story, There’s Strength,” according to Mental Health America, which founded the month-long awareness campaign in 1949.
“Mental health journeys are unique, but the strength found within them is universal,” the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) says, explaining the theme “highlights the resilience and diverse experiences that shape mental health journeys within our community.”
In the spirit of Mental Health Month, market research company Ipsos has released survey results revealing the impact that mental health challenges have on Americans’ daily lives.
Here’s what Ipsos iSay found about Texans’ mental health, as well as broader trends in the American population.
How often do Americans think about mental health?
Over a third of Americans say stress impacts their daily lives, and the majority (61%) also report thinking about their mental health often, according to the Ipsos survey. One in four currently takes medication to manage their mental health, and nearly one in three report missing work due to mental health challenges.
Of course, the impact of mental health challenges can vary greatly according to a person’s identities, environment and life circumstances. More women (67%) say they think about their mental health often than men (55%). When comparing age groups, Gen Z is also more likely to do the same (68%) than the Baby Boomer generation (46%).
How do Americans cope with mental health challenges?
Just as mental health challenges impact Americans differently, Americans also choose to use various methods to cope with them. Here’s what Ipsos found:
- 34% talked with friends or family
- 25% took medication
- 21% chose not to engage in social gatherings
- 10% posted online while they were feeling stressed
- 40% said they did none of the above
What does the American healthcare system prioritize?
Half of survey respondents said they believe the American healthcare system treats physical health as more important than mental health, while only 11% believe the opposite is true.
Lower-income Americans (15%) were more likely to believe mental health is prioritized than middle-income Americans (9%).
Is mental health or physical health more important?
About three in four Americans (77%) say mental health and physical health are equally important, according to the survey results. Those under 35 were more likely to prioritize mental health (14%) compared to people between the ages of 50 and 74 (7%).
Business owners were nearly twice as likely to say mental health was more important than physical health (17%) compared to non-business owners (10%).
LIST: US states facing the greatest mental health challenges
The following data provided by Ipsos reveals each state’s share of adults who say they have “severe mental illness”:
- Louisiana: 39.20%
- Alabama: 38.20%
- West Virginia: 37.90%
- Idaho: 35.90%
- Kentucky: 35.90%
- Texas: 35.40%
- Ohio: 35.20%
- New York: 34.10%
- Oklahoma 33.90%
- Tennessee: 33.90%
