47 mental health trivia questions with answers

Five rounds for Mental Health Awareness Month, World Mental Health Day or a health class, for ages 12 and up. The questions ask about facts, never about anyone's own experience, and every answer links to a public health source such as the WHO or the CDC.

47 questions · Mental health trivia questions with answers · answers included

Updated 31 Oct 2026

Awareness days and history

1
On which date is World Mental Health Day held every year?

easy

Answer
October 10.
The World Health Organization says the day is for raising awareness of mental health around the world and rallying support for it.
Source: World Health Organization https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day
2
In the United States, which month is Mental Health Awareness Month?

easy

Answer
May.
SAMHSA, the federal agency for mental health and substance use services, publishes a toolkit for it each year with a theme for every week of the month.
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/about/digital-toolkits/mental-health-awareness-month
3
What three-digit number can anyone in the US call or text to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline?

easy

Answer
988.
It answers 24 hours a day by call, text or online chat, and chat works in English and Spanish.
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/988/faqs
4
Since which year has Mental Health Awareness Month been observed in the United States?

medium

Answer
1949.
SAMHSA has joined the observance every May for more than 20 years.
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/about/digital-toolkits/mental-health-awareness-month
5
In 1946, which US president signed the National Mental Health Act?

medium

Answer
Harry S. Truman.
He signed it on July 3, 1946. The act called for a National Institute of Mental Health.
Source: National Institutes of Health https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/nih-almanac/national-institute-mental-health-nimh
6
In which year did the old 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline switch to the short number 988?

medium

Answer
2022, in July.
The old number, 1-800-273-8255, still works and reaches the same service.
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/988/faqs
7
When the National Institute of Mental Health was formally set up in 1949, it was one of the first how many institutes of the National Institutes of Health?

hard

Answer
Four.
It opened on April 1, 1949, led by the psychiatrist Robert H. Felix.
Source: National Institutes of Health https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/nih-almanac/national-institute-mental-health-nimh
8
In 1963, which president sent Congress the first presidential message ever devoted to mental health?

hard

Answer
John F. Kennedy.
Congress then passed a law that paid to build community mental health centers across the country.
Source: National Institutes of Health https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/nih-almanac/national-institute-mental-health-nimh
9
A 1992 law created a federal agency known as SAMHSA. What do the letters stand for?

hard

Answer
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The same law moved the National Institute of Mental Health's research back into the National Institutes of Health.
Source: National Institutes of Health https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/nih-almanac/national-institute-mental-health-nimh
10
When someone calls 988, which number do veterans and service members press to reach the Veterans Crisis Line?

hard

Answer
1.
Texting the word AYUDA to 988 connects to Spanish-speaking crisis counselors.
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/988/faqs

What the words mean

11
Psychotherapy has a simpler everyday name. What is it?

easy

Answer
Talk therapy.
Most of it takes place one-on-one with a licensed mental health professional, or with other people in a group.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies
12
What do the letters PTSD stand for?

easy

Answer
Post-traumatic stress disorder.
The National Institute of Mental Health says anyone can develop it, at any age.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
13
What do the letters OCD stand for?

easy

Answer
Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
It is a long-lasting condition of unwanted, recurring thoughts, repeated behaviors, or both.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-when-unwanted-thoughts-or-repetitive-behaviors-take-over
14
What do the letters ADHD stand for?

easy

Answer
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
The National Institute of Mental Health calls it one of the most common disorders diagnosed in children.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd
15
What do the letters CBT stand for?

medium

Answer
Cognitive behavioral therapy.
It looks at automatic ways of thinking and how those thoughts affect a person's emotions and behavior.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies
16
Fill in the blank from the World Health Organization's definition: mental health enables people to cope with the ______ of life.

medium

Answer
The stresses.
The definition goes on: to realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.
Source: World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
17
Which word describes a set of symptoms in which a person loses some contact with reality?

medium

Answer
Psychosis.
It can include hallucinations, seeing or hearing things others do not, and delusions, which are false beliefs.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/understanding-psychosis
18
Bipolar disorder used to be known by which older name?

medium

Answer
Manic depression, or manic-depressive illness.
It causes clear shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and concentration.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder
19
What do the letters SAD stand for, in the name of a kind of depression that follows the seasons?

hard

Answer
Seasonal affective disorder.
It comes back at the same time of year, with symptoms that last about 4 to 5 months.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder
20
The World Health Organization says mental health exists on a complex what, experienced differently from one person to the next?

hard

Answer
A continuum.
Many factors in a person's life, family, community and wider society combine to protect or undermine it at any one time.
Source: World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
21
SAMHSA asks people to use what kind of language, so that nobody is defined by a diagnosis?

hard

Answer
Person-first language.
It also asks people not to use labels such as "crazy".
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/facts

Myth or fact

22
Myth or fact: mental health just means not having a mental illness.

easy

Answer
Myth.
The CDC says mental health is also the presence of well-being and the ability to thrive.
Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/index.html
23
Myth or fact: children are too young to have mental health conditions.

easy

Answer
Myth.
SAMHSA says half of all mental health disorders show first signs before age 14, and three-quarters begin before age 24.
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/facts
24
Myth or fact: mental health conditions come from being lazy or weak.

easy

Answer
Myth.
SAMHSA lists genes, physical illness or injury, brain chemistry, life experiences such as trauma, and family history among the many factors.
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/facts
25
Myth or fact: a person can have good well-being while living with a mental health condition.

easy

Answer
Fact.
The CDC says positive well-being is possible even while living with a condition.
Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/index.html
26
Myth or fact: depression is just feeling sad for a day or two.

medium

Answer
Myth.
The National Institute of Mental Health says everyday low moods usually pass, while depression causes severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks, sleeps, eats or works.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression
27
Myth or fact: only people who served in combat can develop PTSD.

medium

Answer
Myth.
Anyone can develop it at any age, including after an accident, a disaster or an assault, and sometimes after learning that someone close went through a trauma.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
28
Myth or fact: most people with mental health conditions are more likely to be violent than anyone else.

medium

Answer
Myth.
SAMHSA says they are no more likely to be violent, and people with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime.
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/facts
29
Myth or fact: mental health and physical health are closely linked.

medium

Answer
Fact.
The CDC calls them equally important parts of overall health, and says each can raise the risk of problems in the other.
Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/index.html
30
Myth or fact: liking things neat and tidy is the same as having OCD.

hard

Answer
Myth.
In OCD, symptoms take up a lot of time and cause significant distress or get in the way of daily life.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-when-unwanted-thoughts-or-repetitive-behaviors-take-over
31
Myth or fact: most people who contact 988 get help during the call, text or chat without 911 being involved.

hard

Answer
Fact.
SAMHSA says most people are helped by the crisis counselor, by resources shared or by community connections made.
Source: SAMHSA https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/988/faqs

By the numbers

32
In 2023, about how many people in the world were living with a mental disorder: 120 million, 1.2 billion or 3 billion?

medium

Answer
Nearly 1.2 billion, about 1 in every 7 people.
That is the World Health Organization's estimate for 2023.
Source: World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders
33
According to the World Health Organization, which two kinds of mental disorder were the most common in the world in 2023?

medium

Answer
Anxiety disorders and depressive disorders.
Both were more common than any other kind of mental disorder in its 2023 figures.
Source: World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders
34
In 2022, about what share of US adults lived with a mental illness: 1 in 5, 1 in 20 or 1 in 100?

medium

Answer
More than 1 in 5.
About 59.3 million adults, or 23.1%, according to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
35
About how many people in every 100 will have PTSD at some point in their lives?

medium

Answer
About 6.
The figure comes from the National Center for PTSD, a program of the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
36
Worldwide, about what share of young people aged 10 to 19 experience a mental disorder?

medium

Answer
About 1 in 7 (14.3%).
The World Health Organization says these conditions often go unrecognized and untreated.
Source: World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
37
In 2022, about what share of US adults with a mental illness received mental health treatment in the past year?

hard

Answer
About half (50.6%).
That was 30 million of the 59.3 million adults with a mental illness that year.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
38
In the same 2022 US survey, which adult age group had the highest share living with a mental illness?

hard

Answer
Young adults aged 18 to 25 (36.2%).
The share was 29.4% for ages 26 to 49 and 13.9% for ages 50 and older.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
39
About how many people in the world had an anxiety disorder in 2023, according to the World Health Organization?

hard

Answer
About 470 million.
That made anxiety disorders the most common of all mental disorders.
Source: World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/anxiety-disorders
40
About what share of Americans, teens and adults, have an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives?

hard

Answer
About a third.
The National Institute of Mental Health says anxiety disorders involve more than occasional worry or fear.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders

Mind and body

41
How many hours of sleep a day does the CDC recommend for adults aged 18 to 60?

easy

Answer
7 or more hours.
Adults aged 61 to 64 are advised 7 to 9 hours; the amount we need changes as we age.
Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html
42
How many hours of sleep a day does the CDC recommend for teens aged 13 to 17?

easy

Answer
8 to 10 hours.
Children aged 6 to 12 are advised 9 to 12 hours.
Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html
43
Which of these does the CDC list as protecting mental health: social isolation, strong social connection, or a lack of housing?

medium

Answer
Strong social connection.
The CDC lists social isolation and a lack of housing among the risk factors.
Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/index.html
44
The CDC says depression raises the risk of some long-lasting physical conditions. Name one of the three it gives as examples.

medium

Answer
Diabetes, heart disease or stroke.
It also says the link works both ways: long-lasting physical conditions raise the risk of a mental health condition.
Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/index.html
45
In the most common pattern of seasonal affective disorder, when do symptoms usually start?

medium

Answer
In late fall or early winter.
They usually lift in spring and summer. A summer pattern also exists but is less common.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder
46
Healthy sleep, regular exercise and coping skills are habits the World Health Organization names for teenagers' mental well-being. Learning to manage what is another?

medium

Answer
Their emotions.
It also says supportive surroundings at home, at school and in the community matter.
Source: World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
47
Studies of winter seasonal affective disorder point to lower levels of which brain chemical that helps regulate mood?

hard

Answer
Serotonin.
Research suggests shorter daylight hours affect molecules that keep serotonin at normal levels.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder

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