POLL: Arizona Voters Demand More Mental Health Resources — Call Crisis Care Underfunded

Arizona Voters Demand More Mental Health Resources — Call Crisis Care Underfunded

76% Say Services Underfunded; Bipartisan Support for Crisis Care, School Counseling, and Primary Care Integration

PHOENIX (May 22nd, 2025) – An overwhelming majority of Arizona voters believe mental health services in the state are underfunded, with 76% saying the system receives insufficient resources — including 42% who call the underfunding "significant," according to a new AZPOP survey from OH Predictive Insights.

Arizona has historically ranked among the worst states nationally for mental health care access, a distinction driven by severe shortages of psychiatrists and therapists, inadequate crisis stabilization capacity, and high rates of uninsured residents who cannot access care. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly worsened the state's mental health landscape, with rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse all increasing substantially.

The 76% underfunding assessment is notably bipartisan: Republicans (70%), Independents (77%), and Democrats (83%) all agree the system is underfunded. This bipartisan consensus reflects personal experience — 67% of Arizona voters say they or a family member have needed mental health services at some point, and many report difficulty accessing timely or affordable care.

"Mental health care is one of those issues where the lived experience is so broadly shared that it transcends partisan lines," says OHPI Chief of Research Mike Noble. "When two-thirds of voters have personally encountered the inadequacy of the mental health system, political divisions become secondary."

On specific policy solutions, the survey finds strong bipartisan support across the board. Mobile crisis response teams (sending mental health professionals rather than police to nonviolent mental health calls) draw 79% support. Requiring insurance companies to cover mental health services at parity with physical health coverage gets 82% support. Expanding school counselor ratios in K-12 schools earns 78% support. Integrating mental health screening into primary care visits draws 74% support.

The cost argument resonates strongly with fiscal conservatives: the survey presented data showing that unaddressed mental health crises cost Arizona approximately $4.2 billion annually in emergency room visits, incarceration, lost productivity, and homelessness services. Sixty-eight percent of Republican voters say this economic argument makes them more supportive of mental health investment.

Methodology: AZPOP conducted May 17–19, 2025. n=600 Arizona Registered Voters. ±4.0% MOE.