Nevada now ranks last in the nation for mental health care access and outcomes for the second year in a row, according to a new report from Mental Health America.
In Las Vegas, doctors said they’re seeing the crisis play out every single day in emergency rooms across the valley.
“Overall, with a growing city, we’re seeing increased visits across the board for many health care-related issues, and mental health is one of those,” said Dr. Ketan Patel, medical director of both UMC’s Emergency Department and Crisis Stabilization Center.
The report highlights major concerns involving depression, substance abuse, limited access to treatment, and a shortage of mental health professionals statewide.
Researchers found more than 22% percent of Nevada youth experienced a major depressive episode within the past year. In comparison, nearly 60% percent of young people dealing with depression did not receive mental health treatment, and he said social media is accelerating the problem.
“Kids, how they consume knowledge, consume what is going on in the real world, is much different than 10 years ago, 20 years ago, even 30 years ago,” said Patel.
He said one of the biggest challenges facing Nevada is the lack of accessible long-term mental health care and preventative services.
More than 620-thousand Nevada adults are living with a mental illness, yet tens of thousands are going without treatment.
“There is a lack of access for these patients, there’s a lack of outpatient and regular access for these patients,” said Patel.
Patel says the impacts of this crisis extend far beyond emotional health and can quickly begin affecting a person physically if warning signs are missed.
The report also found that more than 28 million adults across the country went untreated for mental health conditions. Mental health advocates said expanding access to counselors, treatment programs, and crisis intervention services could help reduce emergency room visits and improve outcomes statewide.
The Nevada legislature passed bills in 2025 focused on recruiting and licensing more medical professionals in the state. It could take some time to fully see the impact of those bills.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health crisis, help is available by calling or texting Nevada’s 988 Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day.