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• 5,566,000 California adults suffer from mental illnesses. 

• 1,243,000 California adults suffer from serious mental illnesses.

• 396,000 California-based kids that are between the ages of 12-17 suffer from depression.

• In February 2021, 46.1% of adults in California suffered from symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

• 4.5% of adults in California had serious thoughts of suicide in 2018-2019. This was similar to the 4.6% U.S. share of adults with serious thoughts of suicide around that time.

• In February 2021, 21.9% of California-based adults could not get the counseling and/or therapy they needed.

• Of the 1,562,000 California-based adults who didn’t receive the necessary mental health care in 2021, 35.3% did not go because of cost. This is especially true since 7.8% of people in California are uninsured.

Additional California Mental Health Statistics

• It also doesn’t help that Californians are five times more likely to be forced out-of-network for mental health care than primary health care. 

• Also, 9,398,534 people in California reside in communities that don’t have enough mental health professionals. 

• Among 2021 adults in California who reported experiencing anxiety and/or depressive disorder symptoms, 29.9% reported needing counseling or therapy but did not receive it in the past four weeks. This is in comparison to the U.S. average of 26.9% of people reporting needing counseling or therapy but not receiving it in the past four weeks.

• In California, 71% (2,061,000) of adults with mild mental illness, 64.6% (1,023,000) of adults with moderate mental illness, and 39.1% (533,000) of adults with serious mental illness in the past year did not receive mental health treatment.

• California-based adults with mental illnesses enrolled in large employer health plans have average out-of-pocket spending for all services that is higher than that of California-based adults without mental illnesses ($1,106 vs. $470.) This doesn’t include payments for services that these California-based adults don’t claim under their employee coverage.

• California-based adults with mental illnesses that are enrolled in large employer health plans have higher average total health care spending than those without mental illnesses ($9,252 vs. $3,559.)

• In 2020, 1,300 deaths related to opioid overdose were reported in Los Angeles County.
• In California, emergency departments reported 5,664 visits were due to overdoses in 2020.
• 3,946 deaths related to fentanyl overdose were reported in the state of California.
• In Los Angeles County, 11.1billion in lost revenue is attributed to the amount of money both spent on healthcare and lost in wages due to alcohol abuse.
• Between 2006 and 2017, heroin-related emergency department visits increased 426% for individuals between the ages of 18 and 34.
• 34% of individuals in Los Angeles County, between the ages of 18 and 25, admitted to binge drinking regularly in 2019.
• In the state of California, 8.4% of the population had a diagnosable substance use disorder (SUD), but only 0.4% sought treatment.
• In Los Angeles County, drug overdose is believed to cause individuals, on average, to die 30 years prematurely.

How to Tell if You or a Loved One is Suffering from an Addiction

Every addiction looks different. There are a host of symptoms that are commonly exhibited by individuals who suffer from substance use disorders. Often, when people suffer from substance addictions, they are unable to recognize them on their own. In these cases, it may be up to friends and family to encourage such people to seek treatment. This is especially important as addiction treatment can be life-saving if someone is using a drug that can lead to overdose, coma, or death. 

If you are worried that you or a loved one may suffer from substance addiction, there are telltale behavioral signs. These telltale signs include the following:

• Taking drugs in greater quantities or for a longer period of time than intended
• Craving drugs and being unable to control drug use
• Experiencing negative consequences as a result of frequent drug use
• Sudden onset of mood swings
• Losing interest in previously loved hobbies and activities
• Struggling to maintain productivity at school or work
• Neglecting obligations
• Ignoring health side effects caused by drug use
• Hiding drugs or hiding drug use
• Denying use of drugs or alcohol
• Wanting to stop using drugs or alcohol but being unable to
• Neglecting personal hygiene
• Lying or stealing in order to obtain more drugs
• Unexplainable financial issues

Many of these signs are common behavioral signs of addiction. There are also physical signs that people with substance addictions often exhibit. Some of these physical signs include the following: 

• Drastic weight loss
• Bloodshot eyes
• Insomnia
• Dilated pupils
• Slurred speech
• Looking disheveled
• Poor coordination
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Anxiety