South Dakota Tops National Average in a Number of Mental Health Categories
When it comes to struggling with mental health issues, South Dakotans find themselves ahead of the national average in a number of areas.
The 24/7 support line, Crisis Text Line, has issued their first-ever report on mental health called Everybody Hurts: The State of Mental Health in America. In it, they examine the prevalence of mental health issues in each state.
In South Dakota, reports of mental health challenges topped the national averages in a number of areas.
The most common were depression and sadness, which accounted for well over 40 percent of the state's most pressing mental health problem.
Other areas where South Dakotans exceeded the national average were suicide, sexual assault/abuse, self-harm, and substance abuse.
The site received more than 4,000 mental health crisis texts (4,342) from the Mount Rushmore State over a six-year period from 2013 to 2019. 54 percent of those seeking help were accessing care for the first time.