A new study has revealed the worst states to live in for people suffering with their mental health, with Florida ranking ninth.
Medical marijuana experts at Leafwell analyzed data from Mental Health America to determine the states providing the poorest support for mental health. For each state, they found the percentage of:
- Adults with AMI (any mental illness) who receive treatment
- Adults with AMI who report that their needs are met
- Adults with AMI who have medical insurance
These percentages were used to give each state an overall score /100 for mental health care. Here are the lowest-scoring states:
Florida finished ninth worst, with a score of 66.3/100. There are 3 million adults suffering from a mental health illness in the state, with 86.4% having medical insurance, 70.9% reporting that their needs are met and 41.6% receiving treatment.
Two states that share borders with Florida also ranked in the 10 worst. The worst state overall is Alabama, with a score of 61.43/100. In Alabama, 797,000 adults suffer from mental health illness. Of these, only 37.6% receive treatment, leaving 478,000 without. 82.1% have medical insurance, and just 64.6% report that their needs are met. Overall, Alabama provides the worst support for mental health in the nation.
Seventh on the list is Georgia, scoring 65.23/100. Out of 1.4 million adults in the state who have a mental health illness, 82.6% have medical insurance, 70.9% have their needs met and 42.2% have received treatment.
“This research is a call to action for all states, especially those at the top of the list, to evaluate and improve their mental health services,” a spokesperson at Leafwell said. “Continuous improvement, informed by research, patient feedback, and advances in mental health care, is essential.”
