Pure recently surveyed 1,000 Americans on their feelings toward mental health on a first date and found that name-dropping your therapist might be the best way to get the conversation going, as 92% of Americans prefer dating those who’ve been to therapy. The reason is that these people are more likely to show proper dating etiquette: 23% absolutely believe that those who’ve been to therapy are less likely to ghost you or weirdly behave. Therefore, 50% choose to discuss therapy on the first date, and 70% are completely comfortable doing it. If the first date doesn’t feel like the right time, that’s fine, but you’re likely worrying about nothing.
Some 23% of daters believe that those who have are less likely to engage in weird or unpleasant behaviors, such as ghosting, as therapy provides the proper tools to talk through our problems and makes us more attuned to our emotions and others. Conversations around therapy should be one of the last things giving you pre-date anxiety, given that 70% of Americans are now perfectly comfortable discussing mental well-being with a new date. However, many people are starting to not wait for that first date, as 53% of daters prefer dating app profiles that mention having been to therapy and are likely to swipe left for those who haven’t.
In 2022, 23% of US adults visited a psychologist, therapist, or psychiatrist, a huge sharp increase from just 13% two decades ago. Evidently, more people recognize the importance of taking care of their mental health and the benefits of therapy. See the key takeaways of the study below.
Key takeaways
Mental health is no longer viewed as a red flag in America’s dating scene, with almost three-quarters now comfortable discussing mental well-being and therapy on a first date.
Americans are more likely to engage with those who mention therapy on their dating profile, with 92% feeling they make for a better date.
However, therapy sessions don’t always translate into better dating etiquette, with daters divided on whether those in therapy display fewer unusual or unpleasant behaviors.