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Frequent Mental Distress - Age 65+ in United States
United States
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United States Value:
8.7%
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported their mental health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days
Frequent Mental Distress - Age 65+ in depth:
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Frequent Mental Distress - Age 65+ by State: Some Post-High School
Percentage of adults age 65 and older with some college or technical school education who reported their mental health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days
Frequent Mental Distress - Age 65+ in
Data from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
<= 7.6%
7.7% - 8.2%
8.3% - 9.2%
9.3% - 10.0%
>= 10.1%
No Data
Frequent Mental Distress - Age 65+: Some Post-High School
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
About Frequent Mental Distress - Age 65+
US Value: 8.7%
Top State(s): North Dakota: 5.5%
Bottom State(s): West Virginia: 12.7%
Definition: Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported their mental health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2025.
A healthy mental state is essential to overall positive health and well-being. Frequent mental distress aims to capture the population experiencing persistent and likely severe mental health issues, defined by 14 or more days of self-reported poor mental health in the past month. Frequent mental distress is associated with health conditions and risk factors for further poor health, including diabetes, hypertension, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and insufficient sleep. Sometimes, poor mental health may lead to suicide. Older adults are more likely to struggle with poor physical health and lack of access to quality health care, putting them at greater risk for mental health issues.
In 2016, direct medical spending associated with mental health disorders among those age 65 and older in the United States reached $9.8 billion.
According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of frequent mental distress is higher among:
- Older women than older men.
- Multiracial and Hispanic older adults compared with white older adults.
- Older adults with less than a high school education compared with those with higher levels of education; college graduates have the lowest prevalence.
- Older adults with an annual household income less than $25,000 compared with those who have higher incomes.
- Older adults who have difficulty with cognition compared with those without a disability. The prevalence is also high among older adults who have difficulty with self-care.
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ+) older adults compared with straight older adults.
Other studies have found that older adults with activity limitations due to chronic conditions, physical disabilities or mental or emotional problems are nearly three times as likely to suffer from frequent mental distress compared with those without limiting disabilities. Additionally, those who report being unable to see a doctor because of cost at least once in the past year are twice as likely to report frequent mental distress, compared with those without severe cost barriers.
Although some poor mental health days or occasional short periods of mental distress may be unavoidable, more prolonged and severe episodes can be treated or prevented through timely screening procedures, early interventions and quality care. The National Institutes of Health provides resources for older adults who have depression or other mental health issues. The American Psychological Association recognizes the unique needs of older adults and offers several resources through its Committee on Aging, including information on geropsychology.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support for people in distress 24/7 anywhere in the United States.
Healthy People 2030 has objectives to increase rates of treatment for adults with depression and adults with serious mental illness.
Blackwelder, Amanda, Mikhail Hoskins, and Larissa Huber. “Effect of Inadequate Sleep on Frequent Mental Distress.” Preventing Chronic Disease 18 (June 17, 2021): 200573. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd18.200573.
Dwyer-Lindgren, Laura, Johan P. Mackenbach, Frank J. van Lenthe, and Ali H. Mokdad. “Self-Reported General Health, Physical Distress, Mental Distress, and Activity Limitation by US County, 1995-2012.” Population Health Metrics 15, no. 1 (April 26, 2017): 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12963-017-0133-5.
Leggett, Amanda, and Steven H. Zarit. “Prevention of Mental Disorder in Older Adults: Recent Innovations and Future Directions.” Generations 8, no. 3 (2014): 45–52. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26290620/.
Miller, Ray, Sayorn Chin, and Ashish Kumar Sedai. “The Welfare Cost of Late-Life Depression.” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 204 (December 2022): 15–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.10.001.
Segev, Zuzana, Ahmed A. Arif, and James E. Rohrer. “Activity Limitations and Healthcare Access as Correlates of Frequent Mental Distress in Adults 65 Years and Older: A Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Study—2008.” Journal of Primary Care and Community Health 3, no. 1 (January 1, 2012): 17–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/2150131911412380.
Slabaugh, S. Lane, Mona Shah, Matthew Zack, Laura Happe, Tristan Cordier, Eric Havens, Evan Davidson, Michael Miao, Todd Prewitt, and Haomiao Jia. “Leveraging Health-Related Quality of Life in Population Health Management: The Case for Healthy Days.” Population Health Management 20, no. 1 (2017): 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2015.0162.
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