Access Matters: Insights on Mental Health Care from Part Two of Our Series

When it comes to mental health care, many people weigh both the need for support and the challenge of actually getting it. Access to services can make all the difference, and in part two of our series on mental health, we explore how the public views mental health resource accessibility.

(Check out part 1 here.)

Overall

Looking at the total population, the majority lean positive about access to care. Just under half (45%) describe it as somewhat easy, and nearly one-third (32%) say it’s very easy. On the other hand, 19% believe it would be somewhat difficult, and 5% feel it would be very difficult. While most respondents see access as achievable, a meaningful portion still identify barriers that could limit care for some groups.

Gender

A breakdown by gender highlights some contrasts worth noting.  Men appear more confident with their ability to access mental health resources, with 36% reporting access would be very easy, compared to 28% of women. Women, however, are more likely to view access as somewhat difficult (21% versus 16% for men).

Age

Age presents a different story around mental health resource accessibility. Younger adults, especially those 18–24, report the highest difficulty, with 29% saying access would be somewhat difficult, and only about one-quarter viewing access as very easy. In contrast, older adults show more optimism, with those 65 and older most likely to choose somewhat easy (50%) and a sizable share also saying very easy. Middle age groups, particularly 35–44 and 45–64, balance between the two extremes, leaning more toward ease than difficulty overall and reflecting a gradual increase in confidence with age.

Income

Income is another factor that we see impacting people’s perception around accessibility of mental health resources. Those earning under $20,000 a year are twice as likely as the highest earners to describe access as very difficult (8% compared to 3%). At the same time, the highest earners stand out for optimism, with 44% reporting very easy access and relatively few choosing difficulty responses. Middle-income groups largely cluster around the somewhat easy response, with those earning between $40,000 and $99,999 especially concentrated in that category. These results underscore the link between financial stability and confidence in accessing care, with greater resources appearing to align with higher expectations of ease.

Political Affiliation

Political affiliation reveals sharper divides in perceptions. Republicans express the most optimism, with 38% calling access very easy and only 3% labeling it very difficult. Democrats and Independents are less certain, showing lower rates of very easy responses (32% and 25% respectively). Those outside major parties report the highest difficulty, with 42% finding access somewhat or very difficult combined.

Ethnicity

Breaking down the data by ethnicity presents a different picture of perceptions on accessibility. African Americans report slightly higher rates of very easy access (35%), while Asian respondents are least likely to choose that option at 27%. Hispanic/Latino participants show the highest share saying somewhat difficult (23%), and those categorized as “Other” are most likely to see challenges, with over half selecting difficulty responses combined. Caucasians align closely with the overall averages, reflecting the broader national trends.

Panel

Look at the data by panel source demonstrates why strategically blending sample sources matters. Panel F and Panel L show higher optimism, with very easy responses reaching 37% and somewhat easy rising to 55% in Panel L. In contrast, Panel B and Panel O show more difficulty responses, each with around 30% or more reporting challenges. The largest gap appears between Panel L, where over half said somewhat easy, and Panel B, where nearly one-third saw difficulty, highlighting how perceptions can swing widely depending on the sample.

Learn more about EMI’s strategic sample blending approach by clicking the button below.