Rising health disparities statewide, UHERO survey finds

from UH News, May 21, 2025

A new report from the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO) reveals deepening disparities in health, access to care, and basic needs across Hawaiʻi, including that almost 40% of young adults are unable to access mental healthcare.

PDF: Read the full report

--The UHERO Rapid Health Survey has tracked more than 2,000 adults statewide since 2022. The most recent results from December 2024 show:

--Declining health: Only 40% of residents rate their health as excellent or very good—down from 44% in 2023. Among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) and low-income respondents, ratings dropped from 40% to 23%—a 17 percentage point decrease in 18 months.

--Mental Health Strain: 31% report symptoms of depression; 1 in 10 low-income individuals show severe symptoms. Those who missed needed mental healthcare rose from 5% (mid-2023) to 22% (December 2024)—a 17 point increase. For young adults aged 18-34, the rate surged from 8% to 39%—a 31 point increase.

--Barriers to care: Mental healthcare access worsened significantly, especially among young adults (39% unable to access care).

--Food and housing insecurity: Nearly 30% report low or very low food security, and one-third live in rental or unstable housing.

The report calls for equity-driven policy solutions, expanded community health services, and stronger investment in housing, food security and real-time data systems to guide public health decisions. UHERO created an online interactive dashboard for the findings.

UHERO: Public Health Report: Hawai‘i’s Health and Wellbeing Journey Over Time — Monitoring Equity and Access - UHERO

MN: Hawaiʻi’s health perceptions declining: New survey reveals widening disparities : Maui Now

CB: Five Troubling Findings From New Report On Hawaiʻi's Health - Honolulu Civil Beat

HNN: UHERO report: Widening disparity, decline in quality of mental health stems from systemic barriers