Frequent Mental Distress - Women

Frequent Mental Distress - Women in United States

United States

A healthy mental state is essential to 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 poor mental health a month. A strong relationship exists between the 14-day period and clinically diagnosed mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Populations suffering from severe mental illness and frequent mental distress have a higher prevalence of risky health behaviors, including smoking, alcohol use, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity. These health behaviors increase the likelihood of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Chronic stressors like housing insecurity, food insecurity and insufficient sleep are also related to frequent mental distress. In severe cases, poor mental health can lead to suicide, one of the leading causes of death in the United States. 

Poor mental health can lead to costly treatments and missed economic opportunities. In 2009 the direct costs of mental health disorders among women totaled nearly $85 billion, with over $20 billion spent on depression-related care. Among pregnant women and their children, untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders cost the U.S. roughly $14 billion.

According to America’s Health Rankings data, the prevalence of frequent mental distress is higher among:

• Women ages 18-24 compared with women ages 25-44.
• Multiracial and American Indian/Alaska Native women compared with Black, Hispanic and Asian women.
• Women with less education compared with college graduates. 
• Women with an annual household income less than $25,000, who have a prevalence almost double that of those with incomes of $75,000 or more. The prevalence was lower with each increase in income level.
• Women living in non-metropolitan areas compared with women in metropolitan areas.

Although occasional short periods of mental distress and a few poor mental health days may be unavoidable, more prolonged and severe episodes are treatable and potentially preventable through early intervention. School-based programs can improve students’ mental health through direct (e.g., counseling) or indirect interventions (e.g., anti-bullying campaigns). Parity laws that expand and protect insurance coverage for mental health care are associated with lower out-of-pocket costs, lower suicide rates and increased utilization of health care services. Collaborative care models, which connect primary care providers and mental health specialists, are also effective in managing depressive disorders. 

Continued monitoring of frequent mental distress trends may help identify unmet social and mental health needs and inform future interventions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a resources page for mental health, including a mental health services locator.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives related to mental health, including: 

• Increasing the proportion of primary care visits where adolescents and adults are screened for depression.
• Increasing the proportion of adults with depression who get treatment.
• Increasing the proportion of adults with serious mental illness who get treatment.
• Increasing the proportion of homeless adults with mental health problems who get mental health services.

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