Georgia Ranks in the Top 5 Worst States for Mental Health Care, New Study Finds

In 2024, a study ranked Georgia as one of the top 5 worst states for mental health care in the country. Despite being a prevalent issue across the United States, accessing affordable mental health treatment remains a challenge for many Americans, with over half of adults with a mental illness not receiving any treatment and over one in four not receiving adequate treatment, according to Mental Health America.

Forbes Advisor recently conducted a study to determine which states face additional challenges when it comes to mental health care. After analyzing seven key metrics, they found that Texas was the worst state for mental health care, with high rates of uninsured adults with a mental illness and low rates of youth receiving depression treatment. Following closely behind were Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.

Georgia specifically struggled with high costs for mental health care and limited treatment centers. The state had the fourth fewest mental health treatment centers per 10,000 businesses and also had the highest percentage of adults who were unable to see a doctor for mental health due to cost. Despite this ranking, there is hope that Georgia can work towards improving its mental health care system in order to better serve its residents.