Mental health diagnosis rates show ideological divide among young US women

Analysis of data from the Pew Research Center and subsequent examinations by political scientist Zach Goldberg reveal significant disparities in mental health diagnoses among young white women in the United States. Among white women aged 18 to 29 who identify as liberal, 56.3% reported receiving a mental health diagnosis from a healthcare provider. In comparison, 28.4% of moderate women and 27.3% of conservative women in the same demographic reported similar diagnoses.

Recent data also indicates a decline in overall mental health perceptions. Gallup reports that between 2020 and 2024, only 15% of American women aged 18-29 described their mental health as excellent, a sharp decrease from 48% recorded during the 2010-2014 period.

The 2024 American Family Survey further highlights an ideological gap in life satisfaction and loneliness. Only 12% of liberal women aged 18 to 40 reported being “completely satisfied” with their lives, compared to 28% of moderates and 37% of conservatives. Additionally, liberal women were nearly three times as likely as conservative women to report feeling lonely several times a week or more.