The Tokyo Olympic Games: Medals & Mental Health

At this year’s Olympics, mental health took the spotlight. Athletes including Naomi Osaka, Noah Lyles, Raven Saunders and Simone Biles made the brave choice to publicly discuss their challenges, reigniting an overdue conversation about mental health in America.

To illuminate this issue, information designer Giorgia Lupi created Imaging Mental Health in America for the RAND Corporation’s Art + Data residency program. Her visualization pulls data from the think tank’s How to Transform the U.S. Mental Health System report, highlighting data points including:

Nearly 20% of the U.S. population is affected by mental health
2 in 3 Black Americans who need mental health care don’t receive it
Fewer than 1 in 2 people with a mental illness receive treatment

As comforting as it is to know that Olympians are just like us, most people aren’t as fortunate when it comes to getting the same level of care Simone and Noah receive — especially Black and brown Americans. RAND’s research not only speaks to the persistent barriers and disparity in the quality of care across the nation, but also identifies the structural reforms that could help more people find, access, and receive high-quality mental health treatment—potentially improving the lives and health of millions of people.

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.