Mental Health in American Indians/Alaska Natives

  • In 2022, the overall death rate from suicide for American Indians/Alaska Natives was 91% higher than the total population.1
  • In 2022, the death rate for suicide among adolescent American Indian/Alaska Natives, ages 15–19, was 2.74 times higher than the total population.2
  • Despite higher occurrences of poor mental health, American Indians/Alaska Natives receive less mental health treatment compared to the total population.3

Visit the Indian Health Service for resources about mental health and healing among American Indians/Alaska Natives.

For more information and resources on mental health, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website.

Looking for curated searches on mental health within minority and tribal populations, including American Indians/Alaska Native populations, in the United States and its territories? Check out the OMH Knowledge Center Topic Guides.

Mental Health Status

Adults

Adults ages 18 and over who regularly had feelings of worry, nervousness, or anxiety, percentage, 2024
AI/ANTotal PopulationRatio (AI/AN / Total)
18.512.21.52
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Interactive summary health statistics for adults: Percentage of regularly had feelings of worry, nervousness, or anxiety for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2024. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Any mental illness in the past year among persons ages 18 and over, percentage, 2024
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
25.923.41.11
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2025). Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental health detailed tables (Table 6.7B). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Serious psychological distress in the past year among persons ages 18 and over, percentage, 2024
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
15.913.91.14
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2025). Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental health detailed tables (Table 6.88B). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Major depressive episode in the past year among persons ages 18 and over, percentage, 2024
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
8.48.21.02
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2025). Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental health detailed tables (Table 6.41B). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Adolescents

Students in grades 9–12 who seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months, percentage, 2023
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
Male22.614.11.60
Female27.127.11.00
Both Sexes24.520.41.20
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. (2024). 1991-2023 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey data: High school students who seriously considered attempting suicide. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Students in grades 9–12 who attempted suicide in the past 12 months, percentage, 2023
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
Male8.36.41.30
Female15.412.61.22
Both Sexes11.59.51.21
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. (2024). 1991-2023 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey data: High school students who actually attempted suicide. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Mortality

Adults

Age-adjusted death rates for suicide by sex, race, and Hispanic origin, 2022
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
Male39.623.01.72
Female14.65.92.47
Both Sexes27.114.21.91
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Deaths: Final data for 2022 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 74, No. 4, Table 11). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Adolescents

Death rates for suicide: ages 15–19, 2022
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
Male33.713.92.42
Female18.14.73.85
Both Sexes26.09.52.74
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2022). Web based injury statistics query and reporting system (WISQARS): Violent deaths report. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Health Care Use

Adults ages 18 and over who received mental health treatment in the past year, percentage, 2024
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
19.122.90.83
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2025). Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental health detailed tables (Table 6.21B). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Adults ages 18 and over who received mental health treatment through prescription medication, percentage, 2024
AI/AN*Total PopulationRatio (AI/AN* / Total)
12.416.70.74
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2025). Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental health detailed tables (Table 6.25B). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.

1 CDC, 2024. Deaths: Final Data for 2021. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 73, No. 8. Table 10. (Back to top)

2 CDC. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). National Violent Death Reporting System. Violent Deaths Report. (Back to top)

3 SAMHSA, 2025. Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Detailed Tables. (Back to top)


Date Last Reviewed: January 2026