“Too many Americans who suffer from mental health illnesses are still suffering in silence,” declared Barack Obama during a 2013 White House conference. “You see commercials on TV about a whole array of physical health problems, some very personal,” he quipped. “And yet we whisper about mental health issues… we need to get rid of that stigma.”
In the eight years since Obama asserted the importance of destigmatizing mental health, public opinion has shifted drastically in a positive direction. The stigma that had previously haunted mental health issues has largely been exorcised, and the vast majority of Americans have empathy for those suffering from mental health illnesses. Survey data showing overlaps between Democrats and Republicans on mental health are found below.
- 2025 Harris-Poll data suggests many agreements among thoughts on mental health:
- Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults (88%) believe mental health disorders are nothing to be ashamed of.
- 84% acknowledge the stigma associated with the term "mental illness."
- More than a third of adults (35%) admit they would view someone differently if they discovered they had a mental health condition.
- A vast majority of adults (83%) express comfort when discussing their mental health.
- Self-care is considered important by almost all U.S. adults (96%), with 63% engaging in it at least weekly.
- Among 1,000 Americans surveyed by Tebra in 2024, nearly one-third (31%) found mental health treatment to be financially inaccessible.
- Over 70% of Americans, including majorities of Democrats (87%), independents (73%), and Republicans (57%), believe the federal government is failing to adequately provide affordable mental healthcare access, according to a 2024 West-Health Gallup Survey.
- West-Health also reports that a significant majority of Americans, approximately four out of five, support a federal law mandating equal insurance coverage for mental health as for medical or surgical care. This support includes 95% of Democrats, 79% of independents, and 67% of Republicans.
- A 2023 survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors revealed 97% of cities reported an increase in requests for mental health services, yet 88% stated they lacked adequate resources to meet these demands. Furthermore, 71% indicated that their residents simply could not access the necessary care.
Jackson Lanzer is a rising freshman at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. He has contributed to the Contested Politics Blog and the Bridge Alliance Blog, and he currently writes depolarizing articles for AllSides. Additionally, his writing has been referenced in USA Today, and he has won several regional Scholastic Writing Awards for critical essay writing and journalism. Jackson has a Center bias.
This piece was reviewed and edited by Managing Editor Henry A. Brechter (Center bias).
