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Frequent Mental Distress - Women in Michigan
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Michigan Value:

25.1%

Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported their mental health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days

Michigan Rank:

39

Frequent Mental Distress - Women in depth:

Explore Population Data:

Frequent Mental Distress - Women by State

Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported their mental health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days

Top StatesRankValue
115.5%
216.1%
317.2%
Your StateRankValue
3825.0%
4125.2%
Bottom StatesRankValue
4826.7%
5028.7%

Frequent Mental Distress - Women

115.5%
216.1%
317.2%
417.4%
617.7%
718.1%
1018.7%
1119.4%
1420.2%
1520.4%
1620.7%
1921.3%
2121.8%
2321.9%
2422.1%
2622.3%
2723.1%
2823.3%
2923.5%
3023.7%
3023.7%
3224.3%
3224.3%
3424.4%
3524.7%
3624.9%
3624.9%
3825.0%
3925.1%
3925.1%
4125.2%
4225.4%
4425.7%
4525.8%
4726.6%
4826.7%
5028.7%
Data Unavailable
[36] Multi-year estimate is missing one or more data years
Source:
  • CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2020-2021

Frequent Mental Distress - Women Trends

Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported their mental health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days

Compare States
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About Frequent Mental Distress - Women

US Value: 21.0%

Top State(s): Hawaii: 15.5%

Bottom State(s): Arkansas: 28.7%

Definition: Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported their mental health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days

Data Source and Years(s): CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2020-2021

Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.

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.

Arango, Celso, Covadonga M. Díaz-Caneja, Patrick D. McGorry, Judith Rapoport, Iris E. Sommer, Jacob A. Vorstman, David McDaid, et al. 2018. “Preventive Strategies for Mental Health.” The Lancet Psychiatry 5 (7): 591–604. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30057-9.

Caceres, Billy A., Abraham A. Brody, Perry N. Halkitis, Caroline Dorsen, Gary Yu, and Deborah A. Chyun. 2018. “Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Sexual Minority Women (18-59 Years Old): Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2012).” Women’s Health Issues 28 (4): 333–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2018.03.004.

Hydes, Theresa J., Robyn Burton, Hazel Inskip, Mark A. Bellis, and Nick Sheron. 2019. “A Comparison of Gender-Linked Population Cancer Risks between Alcohol and Tobacco: How Many Cigarettes Are There in a Bottle of Wine?” BMC Public Health 19 (316). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6576-9.

Liu, Yong, Rashid Njai, and Kurt J. Greenlund. 2014. “Relationships Between Housing and Food Insecurity, Frequent Mental Distress, and Insufficient Sleep Among Adults in 12 US States, 2009.” Preventing Chronic Disease 11 (March). https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.130334.

Luca, Dara Lee, Caroline Margiotta, Colleen Staatz, Eleanor Garlow, Anna Christensen, and Kara Zivin. 2020. “Financial Toll of Untreated Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Among 2017 Births in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 110 (6): 888–96. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305619.

Massetti, Greta M., Cheryll C. Thomas, Jessica King, Kathleen Ragan, and Natasha Buchanan Lunsford. 2017. “Mental Health Problems and Cancer Risk Factors Among Young Adults.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 53 (3 Suppl 1): S30–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.04.023.

Robson, Debbie, and Richard Gray. 2007. “Serious Mental Illness and Physical Health Problems: A Discussion Paper.” International Journal of Nursing Studies 44 (3): 457–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2006.07.013.

Slabaugh, S. Lane, Mona Shah, Matthew Zack, Laura Happe, Tristan Cordier, Eric Havens, Evan Davidson, Michael Miao, Todd Prewitt, and Haomiao Jia. 2016. “Leveraging Health-Related Quality of Life in Population Health Management: The Case for Healthy Days.” Population Health Management 20 (1): 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2015.0162.

Wood, Susan F., Avi Dor, Rebekah E. Gee, Alison Harms, Richard Mauery, Sara Rosenbaum, and Ellen Tan. 2009. “Women’s Health and Health Care Reform: The Economic Burden of Disease in Women.” The Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/sphhs_policy_facpubs/271/.

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