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A New Executive Order and Homelessness and Mental Illness

This brief examines data on homelessness and mental illness against the backdrop of President Trump’s executive order aimed at removing unhoused people from the streets and enabling more involuntary civil commitments for psychiatric institutional care. This approach could reverse a decades-long shift in treatment approaches for people with serious mental illnesses that moved people away from long-term psychiatric institutions toward community-based treatment settings.

Also: Five Key Facts About People Experiencing Homelessness

At the Three-Year Mark, Demand for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Continues to Grow

How Might Changes to the ACA Marketplace Impact Enrollees with Mental Health Conditions?

The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Adolescents

Mental Health and Substance Use State Fact Sheets

Access and coverage

  • Mental Health Parity at a Crossroads

    More than 25 years after the first federal mental health parity protections were put in place, adequate coverage for behavioral health care remains elusive. This brief explains the federal behavioral health parity requirements and sets out key policy issues.

  • Section 1115 Waiver Watch: Contingency Management

    Of the 800,000 Medicaid enrollees aged 12 to 64 with a diagnosed stimulant use disorder in 2019, about 20% were in states that now have approved 1115 Medicaid waivers for contingency management services.

  • The Landscape of School-Based Mental Health Services

    In the 2024-2025 school year, 18% of students utilized school-based mental health services. This issue brief explores the landscape of mental health services, including services offered, utilization, barriers, and funding, as well as recent federal actions.

  • 5 Key Facts about Medicaid Coverage for Adults with Mental Illness

    Nationwide, an estimated 52 million nonelderly adults live with mental illness, and Medicaid covers nearly one in three (29%) of them, or about 15 million adults.

  • What Federal Medicaid Cuts Could Mean for the Opioid Epidemic

    Medicaid covers 47% of all nonelderly adults with OUD and is the primary coverage source among those receiving treatment services. This brief offers a look at what federal Medicaid spending cuts could mean for this population.

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  • Quick Takes: Timely insights and analysis from KFF staff

    Mental Health Parity with Less Math Required

    Quick Take

    The federal government has finalized significant updates to mental health parity requirements for employer health plans and individual private health insurance.

  • A Look at State Efforts to Ban Cellphones in Schools and Implications for Youth Mental Health

    Issue Brief

    Education leaders and policymakers are turning to cellphone bans in schools to help address youth mental health concerns and improve learning, an idea that has largely received bipartisan support. Cellphone ban legislation has had a resurgence following advisories from the U.S. Surgeon General on youth mental health and the impacts of social media. Research on the effectiveness of these bans, however, is limited, and challenges with implementation and enforcement remain.

  • Compare the Candidates on Health Care Policy

    Feature

    The side-by-side comparison tool provides a quick overview of former President Trump's and Vice President Harris' records, positions, public statements, and proposed policies on a range of key health care topics.

  • Exploring the Rise in Mental Health Care Use by Demographics and Insurance Status

    Issue Brief

    Many people experience mental health conditions, which raises questions about mental health service utilization patterns and what barriers exist with connecting people to services. This analysis explores the latest trends in utilization of mental health services and how it differs by demographics and insured status. It finds that the share of adults receiving mental health treatment has increased, particularly among young adults.

  • Addressing Youth Mental Health with Social and Emotional Learning in Schools

    Policy Watch

    Schools can play a role in promoting mental health and connecting youth to treatment. One approach that many schools have implemented is social and emotional learning, which teaches skills such as emotional management, resilience, and relationship building. This policy watch discusses how common these programs are in schools, how they are integrated, and what supporters and critics say about social and emotional learning.

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Two Years After Launch

    Issue Brief

    On July 16, 2022, the federally mandated crisis number, 988, became available to all landline and cell phone users at no charge. Since launch in July 2022, 988 has received 10.8 million calls, texts, and chats. In May 2024, monthly contacts exceeded half a million, up about one-third from a year ago and 80% since May 2022. Despite increased demand for 988 services, national answer rates improved and wait times decreased, though some gains slipped in the second year.

  • Loneliness and Social Support Networks: Findings from the KFF Survey of Racism, Discrimination and Health 

    Poll Finding

    The issues of loneliness and social isolation gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, and continue to be associated with poor mental and physical health conditions. One in six (15%) adults report feeling always or often lonely in the past year, with the highest shares among young adults ages 18-29. There is a strong relationship between feelings of loneliness, local support networks, and physical and mental health and well-being, but Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults are somewhat less likely to report strong local support networks compared to their White counterparts.