Each year, Mental Health America releases its widely cited “The State of Mental Health in America” report. The 2025 report, released on October 1, shows a troubling trend for Colorado. The report ranks the state 46th in the nation for the prevalence of adult mental health disorders. Almost 28 percent of Colorado adults report having a mental health issue. This compares to a national average of 23 percent and a rate of 19 percent in New Jersey, which currently enjoys the lowest prevalence of mental illness. The news is equally concerning for substance use disorder. Colorado ranks 50th in the nation for the prevalence of adult SUD, with almost 24 percent of adults reporting a substance use problem. Colorado’s SUD prevalence is sharply higher than the 18 percent national average. A bright spot in the reporting is a reduction in adolescent and young adult mental health and substance use disorders.
Colorado’s low behavioral health rankings are not a new phenomenon. The state ranked among the lowest in last year’s report and has hovered near the bottom in previous years. Paradoxically, Colorado ranks 14th in the nation for access to mental healthcare, meaning that many Coloradans have better access to treatment than residents of other states. However, serious treatment access disparities remain for Colorado’s rural communities and mountain towns. The situation is dire. Colorado also experiences one of the nation’s highest rates of adult suicidality, with 282,000 adults reporting serious thoughts of suicide.
An October 1 Denver Gazette article, entitled “New report: Colorado remains in mental health crisis,” which reports on the findings of the Mental Health America report, provides insight from Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Denver-based Mental Health Colorado. “When we think about this data dating back to 2023, the issues remain: the anxiety and fears associated with gun violence have not gone away, our access to care has not improved dramatically enough to solve that, there’s mounting concern not just about social media but also about artificial intelligence and how that’s affecting young people in particular, and our state of persistent political division and civic enmity is a great source of distress that’s not making any of us feel well,” Atchity said.
Mental health and substance use disorder are directly linked to the social determinants of health, like secure food, housing, and healthcare access. For this reason, people who lack access to employment, close family and friend relationships, and who have unmet medical needs are particularly vulnerable to developing behavioral health conditions. Many of the clients treated at Foundry Steamboat and Foundry Front Range struggle with these challenges.
Foundry Steamboat and Foundry Front Range often treat individuals who are experiencing co-occurring mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and trauma. These programs, along with their skilled clinicians and support team members, meet and help the human beings behind the state’s statistics every day. Fortunately, these programs are making a difference. Measurement-based care data shows that Foundry Steamboat and Foundry Font Range clients not only get help with substance use disorders, but also experience relief from depression and anxiety during and after their treatment.
Colorado faces significant challenges in reducing its behavioral health crisis. In September, Governor Jared Polis announced a series of cost-cutting measures, which included a $38 million across-the-board reduction in Medicaid reimbursements, according to a CBS News report. Other sources of community-based mental health and recovery resources were cut nationwide earlier this year when the federal government rescinded grants that pay for these services. The combined impacts of these budget cuts and other changes strain the social safety net programs intended to address the state’s behavioral health epidemic.
