# 83% of Americans say mental-health records have a place in legal hearings

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/health/83-of-americans-say-mental-health-records-have-a-place-in-legal-hearings/

> Indexed question in Health.

## Reading

More than four-in-five Americans (83%) say a person's mental-health history can be useful evidence in legal hearings, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey.

The remaining 17% say such records have no place in that setting.

## Topline

Is the use of past mental health history records useful in legal hearings?

83% of Americans say mental-health records have a place in legal hearings.

- Yes: 83.4%
- No: 16.6%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
- Base (unweighted): 504
- Margin of error: +/- 4.6%
- Module: beliefs
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-1.3](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-1.3)

## Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=504 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.6%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-1.3](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-1.3)