According to Mental Health America’s (MHA) 2025 State of Mental Health in America report, Alabama places #50 out of 51 for youth mental health, measured across prevalence of mental illness and access to care among young people ages 12 to 17.
Alabama, Arizona, and Nevada scored the worst, with higher prevalence of mental illness and lower access to mental health care, according to the report. The measures that had the largest effect on Alabama’s overall ranking were mental health workforce availability, where the state ranked dead last at 51) and youth with private insurance that does not cover mental or emotional problems where Alabama also ranked in last place.
Alabama doesn’t have enough doctors or psychiatrists to treat the mental health crisis in the state.
In fact, the 2025 Alabama Kids Count Data Book also ranks the state last in the nation for access to mental health providers.
“In Alabama, pediatricians, teachers, and juvenile justice professionals across the state are reporting increased behavioral health needs among the children they serve,” according to the report by the nonprofit Voices for Alabama’s Children.
“Emergency departments are seeing more young people in psychiatric crisis. Schools are struggling to manage disruptive behaviors and trauma responses with limited staffing and training.”
As noted in a recent AL.com story, the report notes that families in Alabama face long waitlists, problems with insurance and issues getting transportation to appointments, as the state has underfunded mental health care.
The Mental Health America report noted that among Alabama youth who experienced a major depressive episode, nearly two-thirds did not receive treatment in 2022-2023.
According to Valerie Christian, a psychologist and medical author for LifeStance Health, parents unsure of where to get mental health for their kids can often start with their child’s doctor.
“A pediatrician can often conduct an initial mental health screening and provide a referral to specialized mental healthcare,” Christian wrote. “Telehealth has expanded access in areas where in-person adolescent specialists are scarce, giving families more options for finding clinicians who specialize in treating teens.
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