The brand’s 2026 State of Mental Health Report reveals the widening gaps, barriers, and evolving behaviors shaping mental health in America

LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rula, a national behavioral healthcare provider delivering high-quality, insurance-covered care, has released its annual State of Mental Health Report, a national publication highlighting year-over-year trends in why people seek mental healthcare, the various ways in which they access treatment, and the barriers that persist in doing so.

Based on responses from over 2,000 U.S. adults, the 2026 report, titled “The Spaces Between Us: Navigating the Gaps, Traps and Barriers of Mental Health in America” identifies several key trends shaping Americans’ mental health. Together, these findings point to a society under strain, where rising need, economic pressure, and structural barriers are affecting how Americans seek support.

The Awareness-Action Gap
While nearly 60% of respondents say mental health has become more important to them in the last five years, access to care is not keeping pace. Fewer than half of Americans (47.4%) have accessed mental health services at some point in their lives, down slightly from 2025. The top reasons for seeking mental health support, including anxiety (63.7%), depression (63.5%), stress or burnout (33.9%), and grief or loss (25.7%), all increased from their 2025 numbers (in some cases, as much as 10.6%), underscoring a widening gap between need and action.

The Financial Multiplier Effect
With a sharp rise in the cost of living and a turbulent job market, many Americans are struggling to make ends meet — another factor impacting mental healthcare access. It’s no surprise, then, that the report found 34% of Americans experience high financial stress that worries them on a daily or weekly basis. Half of respondents have cut back on therapy, gym, or personal health spending due to rising costs, and 54% feel exhausted from trying to stretch their finances. Consequently, the people who need care most acutely are often the least able to afford it, as over one in four respondents cite cost as the top barrier to seeking mental health support – consistent with 2025 findings.

The Gender Gap in Care Outcomes
The report revealed a notable gap in how men and women engage with mental healthcare. Women are: 13% more likely than men to seek support for anxiety, 10% more likely for depression, 10.6% more likely for stress or burnout, and a startling 21.6% more likely for trauma-related concerns. However, despite higher engagement, women see significantly lower improvement rates (71%) in therapy than men (81%). This potentially points to another structural issue: the current mental health system may be optimized for simpler needs instead of the complex array that women report facing.

The New Technology Frontier
As traditional barriers persist, more Americans are turning to alternative forms of support. Over one-fifth of Americans have sought mental health help from AI chatbots because it “felt more anonymous” (41%), “is less intimidating” (39%), and “is more affordable” (35%). However, 71% of AI therapy users have also been in traditional therapy, showing that AI is complementing rather than replacing traditional therapy.

Together, these findings highlight how structural and personal barriers intersect to shape how people access care.

Top barriers to mental healthcare:

• Resource Gaps: 37.2% of respondents lack the necessary resources and strategies to determine the most beneficial type of therapy for their needs.
• Navigating the Search: 19% of respondents reported “finding the right therapist” as a roadblock.
• Gender Disparities: Women are 22% more likely than men to have ever accessed care, and 31% more likely than men to currently be in care, due to stigma around men’s mental health.
• Workplace Stigma: Fear of professional perception persists in the workplace, as 42.8% of workers avoid telling their manager about a mental health challenge.

“What we’re seeing is a growing gap between how much people value mental health and how supported they feel in acting on it,” said Doug Newton, Chief Medical Officer at Rula. “At Rula, we believe closing that gap requires more than awareness—it means building a system that reflects the complexity of people’s experiences and makes it easier to take the next step, through personalized matching, clearer cost transparency, and more accessible pathways into care.”

The 2026 State of Mental Health Report findings point to a need for a mental healthcare system that better reflects the complexity of people’s experiences and makes it easier for them to take that first step. Turning intention into action will require reducing the psychological and practical barriers that delay care, from uncertainty about where to start, to concerns about cost and fit. Approaches that simplify decision-making and create a clearer, more supportive entry point into care may play a critical role in helping more people follow through.

To explore the report’s full findings, visit rula.com/state-of-mental-health, and to learn more about how Rula helps connect people to quality, affordable mental healthcare, visit www.rula.com.

About Rula
Rula is a comprehensive behavioral health solution that makes high-quality mental health care more accessible and affordable. With a nationwide network of more than 21,000 licensed providers, Rula offers next-day availability for therapy and psychiatry, 24/7 crisis support, and a seamless digital experience that connects patients to the right care quickly. Patients can match with a provider in minutes, verify insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs upfront, attend secure telehealth sessions, and track their progress—all within a single, easy-to-use platform. Rula partners with most major insurance networks, including Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Kaiser, UnitedHealthcare, and many Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, covering more than 180 million lives across the U.S. Learn more at Rula.com.

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SOURCE Rula Health