Mental Health Survey Key Highlights
According to the RedBox Rx Mental Health Survey, conducted by Morning Consult, nearly three of four Americans (73%) have struggled with mental health in the past year, with Gen Zers and Millennials struggling even more.
Key life events appear to affect mental health in different ways. Life events most linked with worsening mental health include being a victim of verbal or emotional abuse, or being a victim of physical violence. Other strong linkages are found with lack of a healthy home or work environment, and a breakdown in a family relationship. Even attending college is strongly linked with worsening mental health.
Despite widespread mental health struggles, only 37% of those with consistent or worsening mental health struggles have sought professional care, such as therapy or medications, in the past year. Those not seeking care tend to downplay their situation or cite the cost of care.
For more insights from our research, download the full report, explore our infographics, or read the report below.
FULL REPORT — REDBOX RX MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY
Mental health continues to be a widespread challenge
A new study indicates that mental health struggles continue to affect Americans, especially younger adults. The study was commissioned by RedBox Rx, a telehealth and online pharmacy provider that specializes in mental health treatment, and conducted by Morning Consult, a global intelligence company.
Findings from the study highlighted the significant mental health challenge among U.S. adults. Nearly three out of four respondents (73%) reported they struggled with mental health in 2023. Additionally, 29% of the total respondents reported they struggled more than usual with mental health.
Younger generations are more likely to report mental health struggles, worsening mental health
Gen Zers and Millennials are more likely to say they have mental health struggles — and are more likely to say those struggles have worsened in the past year. In fact, 41% of Gen Zers and 36% of Millennials report more mental health struggles in the past year compared with 21% of adults 45 and older.
Life experiences and linkages to mental health
The study also found that recent life experiences, whether relational or personal, were linked to the state of one’s mental health. Those suffering from worsening mental health were more likely to have experienced the following:
Being a victim of verbal/emotional abuse.
Being a victim of physical violence.
Lack of a healthy home environment.
Lack of a healthy work environment.
Attended college/university.
Breakdown in a relationship with a close family member.
Younger generations endure life events linked with worsening mental health
Gen Zers and Millennials more frequently experience life events with the strongest links to worsening mental health. In addition, they more commonly report loneliness and a failure to achieve life goals — additional stressors linked to worsening mental health. For example, 53% of Gen Zers report feelings of loneliness and 52% reported feelings of failure to achieve life goals, compared with 39% and 34%, respectively, of all adults sampled.
Specific life events affect people differently
Some life events appear to affect people differently. For example, getting divorced or separated is linked with both worsening and improving mental health. Getting engaged or married is equally likely to be linked with both.
Despite mental health struggles, most Americans aren’t seeking professional care
Even though mental health struggles are widespread among American adults, more than six of 10 (63%) with consistent or worsening mental health struggles have not sought professional care, such as therapy or medications, in the past year.
Those not seeking care tend to downplay their situation or cite the cost of care as barriers.
About the RedBox Rx Mental Health Survey
The RedBox Rx Mental Health Survey was commissioned by RedBox Rx and conducted by Morning Consult. Interviews with 2,208 U.S. adults were conducted online between December 15 and December 17, 2023. Data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on gender, educational attainment, age and race. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points.
RedBox Rx — a Hy-Vee, Inc. subsidiary — is a telehealth and online pharmacy provider that offers quick, easy and discreet access to a provider who can prescribe prescription medication and ship it directly to a patient’s home. RedBox Rx offers treatment plans for men’s health, women’s health, hair and skin, mental health, allergies and more. For more information, read our story. The provider’s online platform makes it easy for patients to quickly schedule a telehealth visit and privately meet with a licensed medical provider online. RedBox Rx treats a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, adult ADHD, insomnia and performance anxiety. Treatments are shipped directly to patients across the U.S. in discreet packaging. RedBox Rx also helps control costs for patients, with mental health telehealth visits starting at only $25. No membership or insurance is required.
Morning Consult is a global intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with applied artificial intelligence to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act. Learn more at morningconsult.com.