About
The CDC Mental Health Data Channel uses recent data to tell the story of mental health and well-being in the U.S. This page provides information on U.S. mental health-related emergency department (ED) visits among youth and adults. Data is available by age, sex, and race and ethnicity. Data on this page is updated monthly.
What to know
- People may visit the ED when they experience a sudden mental health crisis, have a mental or behavioral health concern, or have a diagnosed mental health condition that could be contributing to another reason for being in the ED.
- Measures on this page show number of emergency department (ED) visits related to mental health conditions. Information from EDs can often be obtained close to real-time.
- Data on this page is displayed as a rate. The rate explains the number of ED visits related to a specific mental health condition out of every 100,000 ED visits.
- Overall, the proportion of mental health-related ED visits were higher during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) than the periods before and after.1
Get Help Now
In crisis? If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, confidential, free, 24/7/365 help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Trauma and stressor-related disorders data **
National: Rates of ED visits related to trauma and stressor-related disorders
Why it matters
- Mental health-related ED visit rates show the importance of providing adequate emergency services for those in crisis. They also highlight the need for sufficient mental health services in non-emergency (outpatient) settings that can help prevent crises before they start.
- ED data provides public health officials with a timely system for detecting, understanding, and monitoring health threats and emerging mental health needs.
- Tracking mental health trends using this data can give us early information about what is happening in communities related to mental health.
Explore original data source tools
- National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) tracks symptoms and diagnoses of patients in EDs and other settings, in near real-time, so that public health officials can detect unusual levels of illness to determine whether a response is needed. Local and state health departments, CDC, and partners collaborate to collect and provide ED data.
Keep Reading
Mental Health Data Sources
Resources
- CDC's General Mental Health Resources
- CDC's Treating Children's Mental Health with Therapy
- CDC's Anxiety and Depression in Children
- CDC's Behavior or Conduct Problems in Children
- CDC's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children
- CDC's Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Children
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Content Source
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
About This Page
Published: May 7, 2025
Updated: July 23, 2026
This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.
Reviewed: July 23, 2026
The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.
- Holland K.M., Jones C., Vivolo-Kantor A.M., et al. (2021). Trends in US emergency department visits for mental health, overdose, and violence outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Psychiatry. 78(4), 372-379. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.4402
- Radhakrishnan L., Carey K., Pell D., et al. (2023). Seasonal Trends in Emergency Department Visits for Mental and Behavioral Health Conditions Among Children and Adolescents Aged 5–17 Years — United States, January 2018–June 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 72, 1032–1040. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7238a3.