Forbes Advisor has ranked Alabama as the third worst state in the United States for mental health, following Texas and Georgia. One of the factors contributing to this ranking is that over half of Alabama residents with mental illness do not receive treatment due to cost. The state is not alone in facing mental health care challenges in the South, as six of its neighboring states – Texas, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina – also rank in the top 10 worst states for mental health care.
Alabama scored 87.6 out of 100 in the survey, with the state having the third highest percentage of adults with mental illness who are uninsured at 17.9%. Additionally, Alabama ranks fourth in the percentage of adults with mental illness not receiving any treatment (62.4%) and fifth in the percentage of adults receiving inadequate treatment (35.4%). The state also places sixth for youth with private health insurance that does not cover mental and emotional problems and eighth in the percentage of adults with mental health disorders unable to see a doctor due to cost. Lastly, Alabama has the eighth fewest mental health treatment centers, with only 12.46 per 10,000 businesses.
The lack of access to affordable mental health care is a major issue across the country and many people are left without proper treatment despite needing it. In addition to Alabama, several other states are struggling with similar problems including Texas, Georgia