North Carolina Mental Health Statistics

Mental health is an important issue in North Carolina, affecting individuals across all age groups, backgrounds, and communities. 

In recent years, the state has seen an increase in mental health challenges, with rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide, while access to care remains a significant barrier. 

Understanding the state of mental health in North Carolina is essential for addressing these issues and supporting those in need. 

Read on to learn the key statistics on mental illness, depression, suicide rates, access to care, and the efforts being made to improve mental health services across North Carolina.

Key Takeaways: 

• Between 2021 and 2022, 309,838 individuals were served by Local Management Entities and Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities programs in North Carolina, with 67% (207,543) receiving treatment for mental illness.
• In 2023, 24.9% of adults in North Carolina reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, compared to 32.3% of adults nationwide.
• The statewide admission rate for mental health services in North Carolina was 639 admissions per 100,000 population.
• 128,000 youth aged 12–17 in North Carolina experience depression annually.

• The percentage of youth (ages 12–17) experiencing a major depressive episode rose from 9.2% in 2004 to 15.3% in 2019, above the U.S. rate of 14.0%.
• Between 2016 and 2019, 47.3% of North Carolina youth with depression, or 56,000 teens, received treatment.
• 12.9% of North Carolina youth (about 137,000 individuals) experienced a substance use disorder in the past year.
• 44.7% of adults in North Carolina experienced anxiety or depression in February 2021, and 22.1% of them couldn’t access necessary counseling or therapy.

• 45% of the 452,000 adults who couldn’t access mental health care in 2021 cited cost as the primary barrier.
• Over 2.67 million North Carolinians live in areas with an insufficient number of mental health professionals.
• The suicide rate in North Carolina in 2022 was 14.4 per 100,000 population, resulting in approximately 1,614 deaths annually.

• In 2021, North Carolina had an age-adjusted suicide rate of 13.2 per 100,000, slightly below the national average of 14.1 per 100,000.
• In 2019, 9.8% of North Carolina’s young adults (103,000 individuals) reported experiencing serious thoughts of suicide.
• 4.1% of North Carolina adults (aged 18 and older) reported having serious thoughts of suicide between 2017 and 2019.

Prevalence of Mental Illness in North Carolina 

• According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), in February 2023, nearly 1 in 4 adults in North Carolina (24.9%) experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression, below the national average of 1 in 3 adults (32.3%) in the United States. 
• According to the North Carolina LME-MCOs Annual Statistics and Admission Report for the Fiscal Year 2022: 

• A total of 309,838 individuals in North Carolina were served by Local Management Entities (LME) and Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities (TASC) programs between 2021 and 2022. Among these, 207,543 individuals (67%) were treated for mental illness.
• Of the individuals treated for mental illness, 8.29% (17,215) were children (ages 0–17).
• 62.9% of admissions for mental illness were male, while 37.1% were female.
• Among individuals admitted for mental illness, major depressive disorder was the leading mental health diagnosis, accounting for 15.0% of termination of treatment (12,146 individuals) and 14.9% of overall admissions (12,691 individuals).
• Anxiety disorders were another common cause for treatment, representing 7.2% of admissions (6,108 individuals). 
• Among admissions for mental illness, 65.3% were White, 29.8% were Black, and 1.6% were American Indian.

• The statewide admission rate for mental health services was 639 admissions per 100,000 population.

• According to the 2021 Mental Health in North Carolina Report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

• In 2021, approximately 1.47 million adults in North Carolina were living with a mental health condition. 
• 356,000 adults live in North Carolina with serious mental illness annually. 
• 128,000 North Carolina youth aged 12–17 cope with depression each year. Nationwide, 1 in 6 youth aged 6–17 are diagnosed with a mental health disorder annually. 
• Approximately 9,280 people experienced homelessness in North Carolina, and 1 in 7 of them lived with a serious mental illness.

• According to data from the Western North Carolina (WNC) Health Network:

• The proportion of adults in WNC who reported experiencing more than 7 days of poor mental health within the last month has grown significantly, from 13% in 2015 to 22% in 2021. 
• The percentage of adults in WNC who indicated that they were unable to access the mental health care or counseling they needed in the past year increased from 9.1% in 2015 to 10.6% in 2021. 

• According to Volume 6 of The North Carolina Behavioral Health Barometer by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):

• During 2019, around 6.5% of young adults (aged 18–25) in North Carolina were diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI). 

• Between 2017 and 2019, around 4.6% of North Carolina’s adults (aged 18 or older) reported struggling with serious mental illness. 

Depression Statistics in North Carolina

• According to Volume 6 of The North Carolina Behavioral Health Barometer by the SAMHSA released in 2020:

• Between 2004 and 2019, the percentage of North Carolina youth (aged 12–17)  experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE) increased from 9.2% to 15.3%. This was higher than the U.S. rate (14.0%) and represented 118,000 North Carolina teens. 
• Between 2016 and 2019, around 47.3% of North Carolina youth (aged 12–17), representing 56,000 teens, received depression care in the state. 

Access to Mental Health Care in North Carolina 

• According to the 2021 Mental Health in North Carolina Report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

• In February 2021, nearly half of adults in North Carolina (44.7%) experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression. Among them, 22.1% were unable to access the counseling or therapy they needed.
• Of the 452,000 adults in North Carolina who did not receive necessary mental health care in 2021, nearly 45% (44.8%) cited cost as the primary barrier.
• In 2021, over 2.67 million residents of North Carolina lived in areas with an insufficient number of mental health professionals. 
• In North Carolina, 53.2% of adolescents aged 12–17 with depression went without any form of mental health care in the past year.
• North Carolinians seeking mental health care are more than 7 times as likely to face out-of-network challenges compared to those seeking primary health care. 

• According to Volume 6 of The North Carolina Behavioral Health Barometer by the SAMHSA, between 2017 and 2019, only 45.3% of North Carolina adults (674,000 individuals) living with a mental illness made use of any mental health service in the last year. 

Prevalence of Suicide in North Carolina

• According to 2022 data from the Centers for Disease Control, the suicide rate in North Carolina was 14.4 per 100,000 population, with approximately 1,614 residents taking their lives each year. 
• According to the KFF, in 2021, North Carolina reported an age-adjusted suicide rate of 13.2 per 100,000 people, which was slightly below the national average of 14.1 per 100,000.
• According to the 2021 Mental Health in North Carolina Report, 1,494 lives were lost to suicide last year, while 358,000 adults reported having suicidal thoughts.
• According to Volume 6 of The North Carolina Behavioral Health Barometer by the SAMHSA:

• In 2019, around 9.8% of North Carolina’s young adults (103,000 people) reported experiencing serious thoughts of suicide. 
• Between 2017 and 2019, around 4.1% of North Carolina’s adults (aged 18 and older) reported experiencing serious thoughts of suicide. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Which Mental Illness Is Common in North Carolina? 

Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems among adults in North Carolina, with 24.9% of the population reporting experiencing symptoms of either illness in 2023. 

What Is North Carolina’s Rank in Mental Health?

According to Mental Health America, North Carolina ranks 32 out of all U.S. states when it comes to the rate of adults with mental illness. This means it is significantly worse off than a majority of U.S. states. 

Is Drug Abuse Bad in North Carolina?

Substance abuse rates in North Carolina are lower than the national rates. One would expect them to be high due to NC’s mental health state, but that’s not the case. According to the SAMHSA, in 2019, around 6.5% of North Carolina residents had a substance use disorder, lower than the U.S. national rate of 7.4%. Learn more in our post on “North Carolina Drug and Substance Abuse Statistics”.