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ROCKVILLE, Md. — Utah has the highest rate of mental illness in the nation, according to a new survey.

About 22.4 percent of the adult population in Utah experienced a mental disorder in the past year, according to recently released statistics. Out of those people, 5.14 percent had a severe mental disorder that interfered with their daily activities.

The study was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The study estimated 42.5 million people over the age of 18 in the U.S. have experienced a mental illness in the past year, at a rate of 18.2 percent. Severe mental illness affected 9.3 million people, at a rate of 4 percent.

"The presence of Severe Mental Illness and Any Mental Illness in every state reinforces that mental illness is a major public health concern in the United States," researchers wrote. "Factors that potentially contribute to the variation are not well understood and need further study."

The state with the lowest rate of mental illness was New Jersey, with 3.1 percent of the adult population experiencing a severe mental illness and 14.2 percent experiencing any mental illness.

The statistics were based on findings from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is sponsored by SAMHSA. They conducted interviews with a representative sample of 92,400 people aged 18 or older.

States with Highest Rate of Mental Illness

Utah (22.4 percent) Oklahoma (21.9 percent) West Virginia (21.4 percent Oregon (20.9 percent) Washington (20.8 percent) States with Lowest Rate of Mental Illness1. New Jersey (14.7 percent) Illinois (15.9 percent) Nevada (16.1 percent) Connecticut (16.7 percent) North Carolina (16.8 percent)

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