SUICIDE RATE DECLINES
Mental health disorders are among the most common causes of disability. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than one-in-five adults live with a mental illness (59.3 million in 2022), and an estimated one-in-17 adults have a serious mental illness that substantially interferes with major life activities (15.4 million).[1] These statistics are even higher for adolescents, where half of teens have had a mental disorder in their lifetimes and 22% have had a severe impairment. Untreated serious mental illness contributes to the fact that suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for adolescents and young adults up to age 34, and the 11th leading cause overall, accounting for 49,300 deaths nationwide in 2023.[2]This indicator measures the number of poverty-level residents estimated to be in need of mental health services, the number of clients served by publicly funded County mental health programs, and suicide rates overall and by subgroups. This indicator also measures feelings of loneliness, which is a strong predictor of depression, anxiety and other mood disorders[3] and, as research shows, can be as bad for health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and has a higher mortality risk than obesity.[4]
Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Services
San Bernardino County DBH provides Specialty Mental Health Services, also referred to as Tier 3 services. These Specialty Mental Health Services are for those experiencing major mental illnesses such as children/youth who may be seriously emotionally disturbed and adults with a serious and persistent mental illness. Clients receiving Tier 3 services may experience difficulty with daily living skills, developing or maintaining relationships, and becoming gainfully employed. They may also have prior encounters with law enforcement, often as a result of mental illness.
TREND
Treatment
The number of clients receiving public mental health services increased in 2024/25, however, the gap between the need for mental health care and the number receiving treatment also increased in 2024/25. Of the estimated 65,278 poverty-level residents in need, 44,350 clients were served, leaving 20,928 low-income residents in need of mental health services in 2024/25 who did not get care. In the past seven years, the proportion of people needing care who received care has ranged from a low of 61% served in 2019/20 to a high of 78% served in 2021/22. At 68%, the proportion served in 2024/25 was near the middle of the range.
INCREASED GAP BETWEEN NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND NUMBER RECEIVING IT
Unduplicated Count of Clients Served by the County Mental Health Plan and the Estimated Number of Poverty-Level Residents in Need of Mental Health Services in San Bernardino County, 2019-2025
When looking at clients served since FY 2018/19 by age group, the number of adults ages 65 and older has seen the largest percent increase, growing 43%, followed by adults ages 25 to 44, growing 15%. All other age groups saw a decline in County mental health services during the same period. Overall, 35% of clients served in 2024/25 were children and youth ages 0-17 years, including 2,034 children aged 0-5 years (5% of all clients), 5,283 children aged 6-11 (12% of all clients), and 8,140 children aged 12-17 years (18% of all clients).
NUMBER OF MENTAL HEALTH CLIENTS THAT ARE SENIORS AND ADULTS AGES 25-44 INCREASED
Unduplicated Count of Clients Served by County Mental Health Plan by Age in San Bernardino County, 2019-2025
Suicide
The overall rate of suicide deaths in San Bernardino County decreased 5% between 2023 and 2024. The suicide rate among 45- to 64-year-old residents has increased the fastest, rising an estimated 23% between 2020 and 2024. At 16.5 per 100,000, residents 65 years of age and older had the highest rate of suicide in 2024. Firearms, the most frequently used method, were used in 45% of San Bernardino County suicide deaths.
SUICIDE RATE AMONG 45 TO 64 YEAR OLDS HAS INCREASED THE FASTEST OVER TIME
Suicide Rate by Age in San Bernardino County and California, 2020-2024
The Mental Health-Physical Health Connection
Mental health and physical health are closely connected. Mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, reduce one’s ability to participate in health-promoting behaviors such as eating right, exercising, and minimizing use of alcohol and tobacco. In turn, problems with physical health, such as chronic diseases (see Chronic Disease), can have a serious impact on mental health and decrease a person’s ability to participate in treatment and recovery. Mental health and substance abuse also tend to be closely linked (see Substance Use Disorder).
RACE/ETHNICITY DETAIL
Of the clients served by County mental health services during 2024/25, 45% were Latino, 22% were White, and 15% were Black. In the accompanying chart, the race and ethnic distribution of the total San Bernardino County population is provided for context. For example, given that Latino residents make up 56% of the underlying population, yet only 45% of County mental health clients are Latino suggests Latino residents are underrepresented among the County’s mental health clientele. Similarly, Asian residents are also underrepresented. Conversely, Black residents and residents that identify as “other,” or for whom their race or ethnicity is unknown, are overrepresented among the County’s mental health clientele.
RACE/ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION OF COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH CLIENTS DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THE UNDERLYING POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of Clients Served and Population by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2024/25
Suicide
Men were more than five times as likely as women to die by suicide in 2024 (rate of 16.4 and 4.4 per 100,000 residents, respectively). White residents made up more than half of all suicides, though they make up only 26% of the population. In the accompanying chart, the race and ethnic distribution of the total San Bernardino County population is provided for context.
WHITE RESIDENTS COMPRISE HALF OF ALL SUICIDES WHILE COMPRISING ONLY ONE-QUARTER OF THE COUNTY POPULATION
Distribution of Suicides and Population by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2024
The Relationship Between Firearms and Suicide Deaths
While firearms are used in less than 10% of suicide attempts, they account for nearly half of all suicide deaths due to their lethality. Research has shown that policies that regulate access to guns, at least temporarily, can reduce suicide rates. These policies include permit-to-purchase laws, waiting periods, child access prevention laws, and extreme risk protection orders. The vast majority of people who survive a suicide attempt do not go on to die of suicide in the future, pointing to the value of prevention in times of crisis.
GEOGRAPHIC COMPARISON
Suicide
Overall, in 2024, San Bernardino County had about the same rate of suicides per 100,000 residents (10.6 per 100,000) as the statewide average (10.4 per 100,000). The rates of suicide among residents ages 20-24 and 25-44 are lower in San Bernardino County than the state overall.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY OVERALL SUICIDE RATE SIMILAR TO STATE RATE
Suicide Rate by Age in San Bernardino County and California, 2024
Loneliness
In San Bernardino County, 35% of adults reported that they always, usually, or sometimes feel lonely. This rate is similar to the California average of 33% and other Southern California neighboring counties.
ONE-THIRD OF COUNTY RESIDENTS REPORT FEELING LONELY, SIMILAR TO PEER COUNTIES AND THE STATE
Percentage of Adults Reporting that they Always, Usually, or Sometimes Feel Lonely, County Comparison, 2025
[1] National Institute of Mental Health (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness)
[2] National Institute of Mental Health (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide)
[3] Cacioppo JT, & Cacioppo S (2018) Loneliness in the modern age: an evolutionary theory of loneliness (ETL). Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 58, 127–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aesp.2018.03.003
[4] Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB (2010) Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review. PLOS Medicine 7(7): e1000316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316