Articles from American Psychiatric Association

Washington, D.C., Nov. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As we head toward the year’s end, Americans are more anxious about the holidays than last year, according to the latest APA Healthy Minds Poll. Among U.S. adults, 41% say they anticipate more stress related to the holidays this year than last year, a notable increase over 2024 (28%) and 2023 (29%). Younger adults are more likely than older adults to anticipate more stress this year (49% of 18 to 34-year-olds, versus 27% of those 65+).

Washington, D.C., Oct. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In recent months, news stories have covered the harms of kratom, the FDA has taken steps toward banning certain forms of it, some states are considering outlawing it, and the FDA commissioner sent a warning letter about the substance to clinicians. A new poll from the American Psychiatric Association finds only 19% of Americans are familiar with this dangerous substance, sometimes referred to as “gas station heroin.” In the United States kratom is sold as capsules, tonic beverages, or pressed tablets. These products contain increasingly concentrated forms of kratom’s principal naturally occurring opioid molecules, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (“7-OH”). This is analogous to the opium poppy plant, where increasingly concentrated forms of its naturally occurring opioid molecules give rise to heroin. Animal studies have found that rodents are unable to tell the difference between morphine and 7-OH*. While the FDA has recently announced early steps toward federal regulation, the kratom and derivatives remain widely available in the United States, with varying state-level regulation.The poll also asked about familiarity with other unregulated substances marketed for mental health purposes, including kava, blue lotus, wild lettuce, salvia divinorum, Mugwort and Yohimbe. Less than 8% of those polled were very familiar with any of these.  "It’s alarming that substances with addictive potential such as kratom are widely available and sold in convenience stores,” said APA President Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, M.D. “I recommend that you never take any substance without talking to a doctor. Too many of these so-called supplements on the market can pose serious health risks. When in doubt, your doctor can help you determine if a substance is safe to take and if it interferes with any other treatments you’re taking.”The data comes from APA’s Healthy Minds Poll, fielded online by Morning Consult Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2025, among a sample of 2,200 adults in the United States.  More than 1/3 of Americans Know Someone with an AddictionWhen asked about substance use disorders, one in three (35%) Americans reported that they know or suspect they know someone with addiction, and 73% think they would be able to get help for a friend or family member with addiction. Specifically:

Washington, D.C., Sept. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In reaction to today’s White House announcement, the American Psychiatric Association issued the following statement:

Washington, D.C., Aug. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to new polling from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), Americans’ relationship with technology is complicated: even as 62% of adults get anxious without access to their phone, two in five are cutting back on phone time overall. Meanwhile, 50% have actively limited their social media usage in 2025.

Washington, D.C., June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New data from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) reveal more than half of adults (55%) believe climate change is impacting Americans’ mental health. More than 40% of adults report personally experiencing effects on their mental health, including nearly one in five who report a significant impact. Additionally, one-third of adults (35%) worry about climate change on a weekly basis, indicating that for many, this is a persistent source of stress.

Washington, D.C., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ahead of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, the organization released poll data today revealing that two-thirds of Americans are anxious about current events happening around the world. The poll also reports on attitudes towards mental health and work-related sources of anxiety.

Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading into 2025, 33% of Americans are making a mental health new year’s resolution, which is a 5% increase from last year and is the highest result the American Psychiatric Association has seen since it began polling on the question in 2021. Younger people in general were more likely to report making a mental health resolution, with 48% of 18-34-year-olds saying so, versus 13% of those 65 or older.  

Washington, D.C., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the winter holidays approach, 28% of Americans say they are experiencing more stress related to the holiday season than they did last year, but the causes of their stress vary. A few of the top stressors identified were affording holiday gifts (46%), grieving a loss/missing a loved one (47%), and dealing with challenging family dynamics (35%). More than half of 18- to 34-year-olds (54%) reported being “very” or “somewhat” worried about affording holiday gifts, whereas only 38% of those 65 and older felt the same way. 

Washington, D.C., Oct. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New American Psychiatric Association (APA) polling reveals that about one in three Americans (31%) anticipates having a heated political discussion with their family members this election season. While most (71%) indicate that their family will weather the storm and get along about the same as the holidays come around, 12% expect an improvement in relations, and 6% said family relations will get worse.  

APA Foundation Releases New Guide for Faith Leaders on Mental Health

Washington, D.C., Aug. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As children begin to return to school this month, a new poll from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) shows that 84% of Americans believe school staff play a crucial role in identifying signs of mental health issues in students, but less than half (45%) of Americans believe most school staff have been trained in identifying these concerns.

Washington, D.C., July 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the Olympics kick off in Paris later this month, 84% of Americans who participate in sports—whether on a competitive or recreational level—say it benefits their mental health, according to a new poll. A majority (57%) of American adults say they participate in sports, with men (67%) more likely than women (48%), and non-white individuals (69%) more likely than white (non-Hispanic) individuals (50%) to say so.

Younger People and Black and Hispanic People Are More Likely to Cite its Effects

Washington, D.C., May 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2024 results of the American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll show that U.S. adults are feeling increasingly anxious. In 2024, 43% of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, up from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022. Adults are particularly anxious about current events (70%) — especially the economy (77%), the 2024 U.S. election (73%), and gun violence (69%).

Washington, D.C., April 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While many Americans are neutral on whether social media is harmful or helpful to their mental health, they tend to say it’s more likely to have helped them personally than society at large. Their viewpoints on the harms of social media to society at large have changed  since a similar poll was done in 2022.

Washington, D.C., March 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- They say in Washington, if you want a friend, get a dog. The results of an American Psychiatric Association Healthy Minds Monthly Poll released jointly with the American Veterinary Medical Association seem to align with that adage: Among the many mental health benefits of pets, nearly two-thirds of pet owners say that their animals offer companionship (65%), are a true friend (65%) and provide unconditional love and support (64%).

Washington, D.C., Jan. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., called loneliness a public health epidemic. The latest Healthy Minds Monthly Poll from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) finds that, early in 2024, 30% of adults say they have experienced feelings of loneliness at least once a week over the past year, while 10% say they are lonely every day. Younger people were more likely to experience these feelings, with 30% of Americans aged 18-34 saying they were lonely every day or several times a week, and single adults are nearly twice as likely as married adults to say they have been lonely on a weekly basis over the past year (39% vs. 22%).When asked about a change in their level of loneliness since before COVID, 43% of American adults said their levels of loneliness had not changed, 25% said they were lonelier, and 23% felt less lonely. Most saw a positive role for technology in social connections; most Americans agreed that technology “helps me form new relationships” (66%), “helps me connect with others more frequently” (75%), and “is beneficial for forming and maintaining relationships” (69%). However, adults are split on whether technology fosters “meaningful (54%)” or “superficial (46%)” relationships.The poll was fielded Jan. 10-12, 2024, among 2,200 adults by Morning Consult, and used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s definition of loneliness: “feeling like you do not have meaningful or close relationships or a sense of belonging.”

The American Psychiatric Association Foundation's flagship student mental health program is available to any K-12 school in the country at no cost.

Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Three-quarters (76%) of Americans are heading into 2024 with a New Year’s resolution in mind, and after three years of similar polling, the number of Americans making resolutions focused on mental health stayed steady, at around 28%. These data come from the last three years of Healthy Minds Monthly New Year’s Resolutions Polls designed by the American Psychiatric Association and fielded by Morning Consult. This year’s poll was conducted from  Dec. 2-4, 2023, among 2,202 adults with a margin of error of 2 percentage points. Other than mental health, Americans reported planning to make resolutions related to: 

Washington, D.C., Nov. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the holiday season fully underway, about a third of Americans (29%) anticipate being more stressed out than last year. The main source of that stress, however, is not political debate at the dinner table. Among the options tested, Americans named affording holiday gifts (51%), finding and securing holiday gifts (40%), or affording holiday meals (39%) as the top three factors causing them anxiety this season.Only 25% of the adults polled said that discussing politics or current events with the family caused them to worry, although that number was slightly higher among younger people (34% for those 18-44). Democrats indicated higher worry (31%) than Republicans (25%), and Independents (19%) were least likely to stress out over these conversations.That said, challenging family dynamics were a source of worry for 37% of Americans, the top factor polled that didn’t have to do with economics. These results come from APA’s latest monthly Healthy Minds Monthly* poll, fielded by Morning Consult Nov. 9-11, 2023, among 2,204 adults.“Economic burdens have run high in our polling for the past few years as a source of concern, and that makes sense given the challenges we’ve all shared,” said APA President Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A. “Connecting with supportive family and friends is more meaningful to our mental health than the commercial aspects of the season. The kindness with which you treat yourself and those you love during the holiday season is the very best gift you can give.”A plurality of adults say they are more looking forward to seeing family and friends (44%) during the holiday season, followed by: 

Washington, D.C., Nov. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the holiday season approaches, most Americans say that small acts of kindness make them feel better, and that is true for both giving and receiving those acts. And acts of kindness were happening: in the past three months, 93% of Americans reported having done something kind, including 69% who had said hello to a stranger, 68% who reported holding a door open for someone, and 65% who had given someone a compliment. Among other options surveyed:

Washington, D.C., Nov. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, four major U.S. medical associations released educational resources highlighting what physicians and the public should know about addiction. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), collaborated on the development of two “Top Ten” lists. These resources, with succinct and powerful facts about addiction, are aimed at helping to raise awareness, increase understanding, and combat the stigma associated with addiction and seeking treatment.  

Washington, D.C., Aug. 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly three in four Americans (71%) say they’d know how to get a friend or family member help with addiction, and most would refer a loved one to recovery treatment (73%) and or initiate a conversation with them about it (74%). As America marks National Recovery Month this September, the majority of adults (65%) said that recovery from substance use disorder or other mental illness means “being able to function better in life,” when asked to choose among a variety of different options.

Washington, D.C., Aug. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) launched a transformative awareness campaign that empowers individuals to take the first step to address their mental health. As the country faces an ongoing mental health crisis, APAF is shifting the conversation to ensure that people prioritize their mental well-being on par with their physical well-being.

Washington, D.C., July 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- About half (46%) of Americans use creative activities to relieve stress or anxiety, such as playing the piano, crocheting a blanket, dancing with friends or solving crossword puzzles. Americans who rate their mental health as very good or excellent tend to engage in creative activities more frequently than those who rate their mental health as fair or poor.These are among the many findings of July’s Healthy Minds Monthly Poll* on creativity and mental health. The poll was fielded by Morning Consult June 15-18, 2023, among a sample of 2,202 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.More than three in four (77%) American adults rated their mental health as good or better, up from 63% at the beginning of the year. Adults who reported very good or excellent mental health (71%) engage in creative activities more frequently than those that reported good (50%) or fair or poor (46%) mental health.“We live in stressful times, and sometimes our jobs and responsibilities can drain our energy and our mental health,” said APA President Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A. “Creative activities aren’t just for fun, they can help us take a step back from the daily grind, use our brains differently, and relax. Picking up that paintbrush or solving a tricky puzzle can truly move us to a different mindset.” Most of those polled said they engaged in creative activities in their free time (65%), and 46% said they did so to relieve stress and anxiety. Others did so when they were bored (37%), while working (19%), or in times of crisis (14%). When asked which creative activities they used to relieve stress and anxiety, adults reported a variety of interests:

More People Deem Cigarettes Dangerous, Addictive Than Vaping, Opioids, Technology, and Alcohol

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The results of an annual poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association show that 70% of U.S. adults say they feel anxious or extremely anxious about keeping themselves or their families safe. While the number is lower than what was reported during the early onset of the pandemic in 2020, it is 6% higher than in the past two years.

Washington, D.C., April 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nutrition and mental health are linked, and studies on mental wellness and the gut biome, the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, among other topics, have been garnering more attention in recent years. Americans are picking up that understanding: the latest American Psychiatric Association Healthy Minds Monthly* poll reveals that two-thirds (66%) of American adults feel knowledgeable about the link between nutrition and mental health. A majority (81%) would be willing to change their diet to improve mental health.

Social Media Campaign to Feature Pets, Twitter Chat March 29

Washington, D.C., March 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The findings of the latest edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly Poll are clear: in addition to feeling like part of the family, Americans’ furry friends offer many mental health benefits.   

Men and Women Differ Slightly on Boosts of Romantic Relationships

29% Plan to Adopt New Year’s Resolutions Related to Mental Health