In Case You Haven't Heard…

New research reveals that North Dakota, Vermont, and Nebraska are the happiest and healthiest states in America, while West Virginia and Louisiana rank last for mental well-being, according to Best States for a Mental Health Report, which ranks all 50 states on various factors that impact mental health and mental healthcare access. Released by Soliant Health, the report was commissioned to better understand the disparities in mental health support in communities and schools nationwide, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness each year. This comprehensive report aims to elevate the conversations about mental health and the crucial need for increased access to mental wellness services across the country, a news release stated. Soliant worked with healthcare professionals to consider a wider range of factors that impact mental health at all ages, in addition to factors regarding the ability to engage in good mental health practices. These factors include: The frequency of “poor mental health days” reported by the population, unemployment rate, participation in physical activity, disconnected youth rate, which is the percentage of teens and young adults aged 16–24 who are neither working or in school, and access to healthy foods.