A public reference page

Texas mental health statistics, 2026

Recent, sourced figures on mental health and access to care in Texas. Built for writers, researchers, community organizations, and anyone seeking a clear snapshot of the need across the state.

Last updated October 14, 2026. The newest statewide survey period available for the core measures is 2023-2024.

At a glance

Recent figures, kept in context.

Mental-health data can use different definitions, age groups, and reporting periods. Each figure below names its source and time frame so it can be quoted accurately. Estimates describe the population, not any one person's experience or need for care.

Houston Transformation Counseling provides online therapy for adults across Texas. This page is an educational reference, not a diagnostic tool or crisis resource. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911. For suicide and crisis support in the United States, call or text 988.

The statistics

Texas mental health, by the numbers

Each statistic has a stable link and its original source directly beside it.

20.7%

of Texas adults had any mental illness in the past year.

That is an estimated 4.73 million adults, based on 2023-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data.

Source: KFF State Health Facts, using SAMHSA NSDUH data, 2023-2024

5.1%

of Texas adults had a serious mental illness in the past year.

That is an estimated 1.163 million adults. In this survey, serious mental illness means the condition substantially interfered with one or more major life activities.

Source: KFF State Health Facts, using SAMHSA NSDUH data, 2023-2024

7.2%

of Texas adults had a major depressive episode in the past year.

The survey estimates this represents about 1.647 million Texas adults in 2023-2024.

Source: KFF State Health Facts, using SAMHSA NSDUH data, 2023-2024

16.1%

of Texas adolescents ages 12-17 had a major depressive episode in the past year.

The estimate is about 431,000 young Texans. This page focuses on adults, but the figure helps show the scale of mental health need across Texas families.

Source: KFF State Health Facts, using SAMHSA NSDUH data, 2023-2024

More than 4 in 10

Texas adults with frequent mental distress could not see a doctor because of cost in 2023.

Mental Health America reported this as part of its 2025 state access-to-care analysis, drawing on 2023 survey data.

Source: Mental Health America, State of Mental Health in America 2025

How to read these figures

Need is broad. Support is individual.

Statewide estimates are useful for understanding scale. They do not tell us why a particular person is struggling, whether someone wants care, or which kind of support will help. For people considering therapy, the more immediate questions are often practical: what feels hard right now, what kind of support feels safe, and whether care can fit into everyday life.

For adults in Houston and across Texas, individual therapy can offer space to work with anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, trauma, and relationship patterns at a pace that feels manageable. Learn more about the concerns Houston Transformation Counseling supports.

Methodology and sources

Where the numbers come from.

The first four figures are Texas estimates published by KFF State Health Facts using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey is designed to estimate mental-health measures among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population. The access-to-care figure is from Mental Health America's 2025 state analysis of 2023 data.

Cite this page

Houston Transformation Counseling. Texas Mental Health Statistics, 2026. Updated October 14, 2026. https://houstontransformationcounseling.com/texas-mental-health-statistics

Support that meets you where you are

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Online therapy for adults across Texas, with a thoughtful first conversation before you decide what comes next.

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