More than 8.3 million American adults suffer from serious psychological distress, according to new research from New York University Langone Medical Center. That means a higher percentage of U.S. adults are dealing with this mental health issue now than in the past. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines serious psychological distress as a combination of “feelings of sadness, worthlessness and restlessness” profound enough to affect your physical health. In addition to rising distress, the new findings (published online in the journal Psychiatric Services) show that the country’s “ability to meet the growing demand for mental health services is diminishing,” the study’s press release explains. Researchers analyzed data from more than 200,000 Americans between 18 and 64 years old using self-reported surveys, a process that spanned nine years. They found that 3.4 percent of participants met the criteria for serious psychological distress — previous estimates were less tha