When mental health declines, people turn to healthcare providers first
Core finding
If their mental health worsens, most Americans (62%) would turn first to a healthcare provider, according to an August 2025 Verasight survey.
About one-in-five (21%) would lean on family and friends, and one-in-ten (10%) would do nothing, expecting the problem to pass on its own. Medication is a distant first resort: 5% would take a federally approved drug and 3% something else.
Topline distribution
When mental health declines, people turn to healthcare providers first.
If you experience your mental health getting worse, what would you do first to address it?
n = 1,000 · Aug 13–18, 2025 · MoE ±3.1%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | United States adults |
| Field dates | Aug 13–18, 2025 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.1% |
| Module | Verasight JSM Omnibus Survey |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/jsm-2025
If you experience your mental health getting worse, what would you do first to address it?
Cite this question
Verasight JSM Omnibus Survey, fielded August 13-18, 2025, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.1%.