Georgia has one of the worst mental health rankings in the U.S.

One in five — those are the odds someone suffers from a mental illness. It’s a stark statistic that affected roughly 59.3 million Americans in 2022 alone.

In 2025, Georgia’s mental health care services might face some serious challenges, too. According to Atlanta-based health care staffing company, Soliant, the Peach State ranks within the bottom 32% of the nation for mental health and happiness.

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To determine the best states for mental health and happiness, Soliant evaluated each area’s mental health outcomes, available access to mental health services and socioeconomic conditions. The company used data from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Community Survey and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.

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Each state was evaluated across five key metrics: access to healthy foods, physical activity, unemployment rate, average reported poor mental health days and the number of people 16-24 not working or in school. Those not working or in school were calculated into each state’s disconnected youth rate, described as people “at an increased risk of violence, smoking, drug use and may have emotional deficits and less cognitive and academic skills than their peers who are working and/or in school.”

States that do not offer sufficient access to healthy foods featured larger percentages of low-income populations that did not live close to a grocery store. Soliant determined each state’s average poor mental health days per resident and their average physical activity through the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Unemployment rates were derived from the BLS.

Out of a maximum combined score of 100 for all five metrics, North Dakota ranked the highest as the mentally healthiest state in the country with 82 points. Vermont, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Hawaii finished out the top five rankings.

The lowest ranking state was West Virginia with a score of 21.9. From lowest to highest ranked, Louisiana, Arkansas, Nevada and Mississippi finished out the bottom five rankings.

The Peach State, meanwhile, landed firmly at 34th with 46.5 points, just over half North Dakota’s nation-leading high score. Soliant was kinder to Georgia in their 2025 rankings than Forbes. The news outlet once again called Georgia the second worst state in the country for mental health this year, reporting 29.1% of locals suffering a mental illness do not receive adequate treatment.

According to Soliant, the Peach State ranks within the bottom third of the country, but hardly the second worst state. From the best states to that bottom third, the Atlanta company discovered a pattern affecting the nation’s mental health though.

“One key finding is the strong correlation between a state’s disconnected youth rate and its overall ranking,” according to Soliant’s report. “Disconnected youth face heightened risks of poor mental health, including increased vulnerability to violence, substance abuse and emotional challenges. Studies also indicate that these individuals are more likely to experience unemployment, poverty, and mental health disorders later in life.”

Anyone seeking help with their mental health can call the SAMSHA national helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or visit samhsa.gov.

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