Atlanta-based research company Soliant has published a report on the best states in the country for happiness and mental health. While other Southern states, like Alabama and West Virginia, proved to be some of the unhappiest places in the country, Georgia ranked roughly in the middle.
“The report was commissioned to better understand the disparities in mental health support in communities and schools nationwide, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year,” Soliant reported. “This comprehensive report aims to elevate the conversations about mental health and the crucial need for increased access to mental wellness services across the country.”
To determine the overall mental health of each state’s residents, Soliant considered data from various categories: the frequency of “bad mental health days” reported by the existing population, access to mental health providers, unemployment rate, violent crime rate, disconnected youth rate, air pollution, access to exercise opportunities and the suicide rate of people ages 15 through 24.
“The top-ranking states best meet the mental health needs of the population, for example, by providing emotional support for school students and sufficient access to exercise opportunities so that people can engage in good mental health practices,” the research company reported.
Nebraska claimed the top spot in the rankings, earning 85.2 out of 100 points across the eight mental health categories. Nebraska was followed closely by Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Rhode Island.
In last place, West Virginia was found to have the highest average mentally unhealthy days reported by residents. Alabama and Arkansas each ranked just above West Virginia, with Alabama earning the worst mental health provider-to-population ratio and Arkansas ranking poorly in almost all categories.
Georgia fell into the 50-59 range, placing it in roughly the bottom 60% of states for happiness and mental health.
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