Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (February 28, 2014). The NSDUH Report: State Estimates of Adult Mental Illness from the 2011 and 2012 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Rockville, MD.

“Mental illness is a major public health concern in the United States. Information on the prevalence of mental illness is needed to help guide and inform effective treatment and prevention programs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides block grant funding to States in support of programs and services for adults with mental illness with the goal to improve the life of adults and their capacity to work in their community. SAMHSA defines mental illness based on diagnostic criteria in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Any mental illness (AMI) among adults aged 18 or older is the presence of any mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder in the past year that met DSM-IV criteria. Among adults with a disorder, those adults whose disorder caused substantial functional impairment (i.e., a disorder that substantially interfered with or limited one or more major life activities) are defined as having serious mental illness (SMI) and have the most urgent need for treatment. In 2012, only 62.9 percent of adults with SMI (6.0 million people) had received mental health treatment nationally in the past 12 months.”