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CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — An extraordinary 79% of the 55 and over population report excellent to good mental health, with 28% indicating excellent and 51% reporting good mental health. Despite the natural aging process, only a small portion of the population notes a decline in their mental health over the past five years, with 17% experiencing a slight decline and just 3% reporting a significant decline.
Even fewer anticipate a worsening of their mental health in the next five years, with only 9% expecting a decline and a mere 2% foreseeing a significant decline. The drivers behind this positive mental health trend include strong community connections, faith-based activities, regular exercise, and enriching life experiences. This remarkable optimism follows the historic spike in anxiety and depression experienced by adults in America in 2020 (PubMed).
“Despite the stress and doom that have dominated healthcare headlines for the past five years, the optimism Americans 55 and older have about their health is encouraging,” New Ocean Health CEO Hal Rosenbluth said. “As we settle into 2025, corporate America and enterprising startup leaders have an obligation to bring healthcare solutions that expand upon the access all patients need to thrive over the long-term.”
Among the 197 respondents who reported a decline in their mental health, the primary factors contributing to this deterioration were financial concerns, escalating health issues, and a sense of isolation.
Mental health services have high satisfaction levels when utilized…
- 61% of respondents have utilized mental health services offered through their insurer.
- 50% of respondents have Medicare coverage, and 25% have coverage through their employer, and satisfaction levels among both populations are high.
- These respondents indicate that the mental health services they were provided were comprehensive and greatly benefited their or met their mental health needs (56% employer coverage, 42% Medicare).
…But large swaths of Americans 55+ are not accessing these services when offered by insurance.
- 41% of those with Medicare say they have not used or are unaware of provided mental health services with 27% of those with employer-sponsored coverage saying the same thing. This accounts for 27% of all respondents.
- 76% have not used digital support to manage a chronic condition and/or long-term mental health condition, 24% of those open to it; (36% would utilize a digital solution to manage chronic conditions and/or long-term mental health condition if they had access)
"When patients have deep community ties, and importantly, access to healthcare that works, their mental and physical health remains consistently strong,” commented Michael Musci, the Chief Medical Officer at New Ocean Health Solutions. "However, if older Americans cannot access the mental health and community support they need as they age, we can expect their overall health outcomes to decline."
While people are overall positive about aging, there is an undercurrent of concern, as substance use among the aging population has been on the rise for years, according to the American Psychological Association, with alcohol reported as the most misused substance, followed by cannabis. The New Ocean survey respondents reported that:
- Half of those surveyed report having been diagnosed with at least one long-term mental health condition (anxiety, depression, substance use).
- 32% alter the way they take pain medication from the prescribed instructions.
- 23% use pain medication for reasons other than pain relief, such as to aid sleep, enhance mood, or reduce stress.
- 29% engage in recreational substance use one to three times per week with only 8% admitting to daily use.
- Alcohol was the most frequently used substance (35%), followed by tobacco/nicotine and marijuana, which had similar usage rates (14% and 13%, respectively).
