Mental and substance use disorders are significant public health problems in the United States, with substantial unmet treatment need. To help allocate service resources, we need better estimates of how many people are affected by these problems and whether they have received treatment. The National Study of Mental Health (NSMH) is designed to fill these gaps. This study aims to provide national estimates of mental health and substance use disorders among U.S adults ages 18 to 65. For the first time, the NSMH will include adults living in households across the U.S. as well as prisons, jails, state psychiatric hospitals and homeless shelters.
The study is funded by a grant to RTI from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
You may have received a letter inviting you to complete a short household membership listing. Once that is complete, up to two people in your household may be invited to complete a short screening survey and an interview.
You can complete the household membership listing and screening survey online, by phone, by mail, or if needed, a trained interviewer can come to your home. You can complete the main interview by video, by phone, or if needed, a trained interviewer can come to your home to conduct the interview.
You will be asked questions about mental health, health behaviors including tobacco, alcohol, and drug use, and access to medical care and treatment. More details on the household membership listing, short screening survey, and main interview will be provided to you.
Please be assured that all your data will be kept confidential.
If you ever feel that you need to talk to someone about mental health issues, you can call the National Lifeline Network. Counselors are available to talk at any time of the day or night and they can give you information about services in your area.
1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255
1-888-628-9454 (Spanish)
http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
If you ever feel that you need to talk to someone about drug use issues, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Treatment Referral Helpline. This is a 24-hour service that will help you locate treatment options near you.
1-800-662-HELP or 1-800-662-4357
1-800-487-4889 (TDD)