Treatment FAQ

percentage of amercians who receive mental health treatment currently

by Isabelle Kuhic Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

In 2019, 19.2% of adults had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken medication for their mental health, and 9.5% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional (Figure 1).

Summary. In 2020, 20.3% of U.S. adults received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 16.5% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 10.1% who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.

Full Answer

What percentage of adults get mental health treatment?

In 2019, 19.2% of adults had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional. Women were more likely than men to have received any mental health treatment.

How many Americans live with a mental illness?

Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (51.5 million in 2019). Mental illnesses include many different conditions that vary in degree of severity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe.

How much does the US spend on mental health services?

The cost of mental health Nearly 1 in 5 Americans has some type of mental health condition. Spending on mental health treatment and services reached $225 billion in 2019, according to an Open Minds Market Intelligence Report.

How many people don’t receive the mental health services they need?

Even in states with the greatest access, over 38% are not receiving the mental health services they need. Among youth with severe depression, only 27.3% received consistent treatment. 23.6% of adults with a mental illness reported an unmet need for treatment in 2017-2018. This number has not declined since 2011.

What percentage of people receive mental health treatment?

Summary. In 2019, 19.2% of U.S. adults received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.

How many people in US receive mental health treatment?

Mental health treatment or counseling among U.S. adults 2002-2020. In 2020, around 41.4 million adults in the United States received treatment or counseling for their mental health within the past year. Such treatment included inpatient or outpatient treatment or counseling, or the use of prescription medication.

What percent of Americans have access to mental health care?

In 2020, among the 52.9 million adults with AMI, 24.3 million (46.2%) received mental health services in the past year....Figure 2.DemographicPercentOverall46.2SexFemale51.2Male37.4Age18-2542.16 more rows

What percentage of the US has mental health issues 2020?

Prevalence of Mental Illness 2020 19.00% of adults are experiencing a mental illness. Equivalent to over 47 million Americans. 4.55% are experiencing a severe mental illness. The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 16.14% in New Jersey to 25.25% in Utah.

What are the statistics on mental illness?

An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older -- about 1 in 4 adults -- suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

Is mental health increasing in America?

The new data accompanies the release of the annual State of Mental Health in America report, showing that nationwide, 19% (47.1 million) of people in the U.S. are living with a mental health condition, a 1.5 million increase over last year's report.

What is the current state of mental health in the US?

There is a Mental Health Crisis in the United States In 2019 alone, almost 20 percent of the United States population, nearly 50 million people, were diagnosed with a mental illness.

How many people have no access to mental health?

More than half of adults with mental illness in the U.S. do not receive mental healthcare treatment, totaling over 27 million adults in the U.S. going untreated.

What is the #1 mental health problem in the US?

Right now, nearly 10 million Americans are living with a serious mental disorder. The most common are anxiety disorders major depression and bipolar disorder.

What percentage of the US has mental health issues 2021?

19.00% of adults are experiencing a mental illness. Equivalent to over 47 million Americans. 4.55% are experiencing a severe mental illness. The state prevalence of adult mental illness ranges from 16.14% in New Jersey to 25.25% in Utah.

What is the current trend in the prevalence of mental health issues?

The prevalence of those experiencing symptoms of at least one current mental disorder rose from a baseline of 20.02 (95% CI = 18.64; 21.39) in 2017 to 29.63 (95% CI = 27.9; 31.37) in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of both major depressive disorder (3.96, 95% CI = 3.28; 4.62 v.

What state has the highest depression rate 2020?

States with the Highest Depression RatesOregon. Oregon has the highest rate of depression in the United States at 25.20%. ... West Virginia. West Virginia has the second-highest depression rate in the United States of 24.62%. ... Maine. Maine's depression rate is the third-highest in the United States at 23.52%. ... Arkansas. ... Kentucky.

How many people have received mental health treatment in 2019?

In 2019, 19.2% of adults had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.

Which group of people was more likely to receive mental health treatment?

Women were more likely than men to have received any mental health treatment. Non-Hispanic white adults (23.0%) were more likely than non-Hispanic black (13.6%) and Hispanic (12.9%) adults to have received any mental health treatment.

How many people with SMI received mental health treatment in 2019?

In 2019, among the 13.1 million adults with SMI, 8.6 million (65.5%) received mental health treatment in the past year. More females with SMI (70.5%) received mental health treatment than males with SMI (56.5%).

What is mental health services?

The NSDUH defines mental health services as having received inpatient treatment/counseling or outpatient treatment/counseling or having used prescription medication for problems with emotions, nerves, or mental health.

What is a serious mental illness?

Serious mental illness (SMI) is defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.

How many people have SMI in 2019?

In 2019, there were an estimated 13.1 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with SMI. This number represented 5.2% of all U.S. adults. The prevalence of SMI was higher among females (6.5%) than males (3.9%).

How many people with depression did not receive mental health treatment in 2017?

There is still unmet need for mental health treatment among youth and adults. 60% of youth with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment in 2017-2018. Even in states with the greatest access, over 38% are not receiving the mental health services they need.

What are the most common mental health issues in 2020?

People screening at risk for mental health conditions are struggling most with loneliness or isolation. From April to September 2020, among people who screened with moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety or depression, 70 percent reported that one of the top three things contributing to their mental health concerns was loneliness or isolation .

What is the purpose of mental health snapshot?

To provide a snapshot of mental health status among youth and adults for policy and program planning, analysis, and evaluation; To track changes in prevalence of mental health issues and access to mental health care; To understand how changes in national data reflect the impact of legislation and policies; and.

How many people have taken a screening for MHA?

This year’s report includes a spotlight on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, using the over 1.5 million people who have taken a screen on MHA Screening from January to September 2020. From these screens we have found: The number of people looking for help with anxiety and depression has skyrocketed.

What percentage of screeners are Asian?

People who identify as Asian or Pacific Islander are searching for mental health resources more in 2020 than ever before. The proportion of screeners identifying as Asian or Pacific Islander increased 7 percent, from 9 percent of screeners in 2019 to 16 percent in 2020.

How many youth have depression?

Youth mental health is worsening. 9.7% of youth in the U.S. have severe major depression, compared to 9.2% in last year’s dataset. This rate was highest among youth who identify as more than one race, at 12.4%.

How many people took the anxiety screen in 2020?

From January to September 2020, 315,220 people took the anxiety screen, a 93 percent increase over the 2019 total number of anxiety screens. 534,784 people took the depression screen, a 62 percent increase over the 2019 total number of depression screens.

How many people with mental illness are not able to receive treatment?

Almost a quarter (22.3%) of all adults with a mental illness reported that they were not able to receive the treatment they needed. This number has not declined since 2011.

How many people with depression do not receive mental health care?

59% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. Youth experiencing MDE continue to go untreated. Even among the states with greatest access for youth, almost 50% of youth are still not receiving the mental health services they need.

How many people will be uninsured in 2020?

Adults with AMI who are Uninsured 2020. 10.3% (over 4.7 million) of adults with a mental illness remain uninsured. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the U.S. continues to see a decline in Americans who are uninsured.

What percentage of people have cognitive disabilities?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 11.4% of people in the United States had a cognitive disability, even when adjusted for age. 1 The percentage of people with cognitive disability ranged from 7.8 percent in some states to 19.1 percent. A 2017 study.

Which states have not expanded Medicaid?

Thirty-nine states saw a reduction in Adults with AMI who are uninsured. The largest reductions were seen in Louisiana (5.3%), New York (4.7%), Iowa (4.6%) and Arkansas (4.2%). Each of the bottom 17 states, with the exception of Louisiana, are states that have not expanded Medicaid.

What is MHPAE law?

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity law (MHPAE) was enacted a decade ago and promised the equal coverage of mental health and substance use services. However, the rate of children with private insurance that does not cover mental or emotional problems continues to increase, and private insurance companies continue to place subtle restrictions on coverage for mental health treatments.

What is the most common type of mental health treatment?

The most common type of mental health treatmentamong U.S. adults is prescription medication, followed by outpatient and inpatient care.

What are the most common forms of mental illness?

The most common forms of mental illness are depression and anxiety.

How many families have taken advantage of mental health care?

Only 14% of families have taken advantage of mental health care because of issues related to the pandemic. Between the military and their families, over 50% have looked for mental health care. In other surveys about mental health care, the Cohen Veterans Network found that:

How many people have mental health problems?

1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness. Almost 1 in 25 adults live with a serious mental illness. 50% of chronic mental illness start before 14 years of age. 75% of chronic mental illness start by age 24. Just over 10 million people over the age of 18 have more than 1 addiction or mental health disorder.

What is the leading cause of death for people over the age of 24?

Clinical depression (or major depression) Bipolar disorder (or manic depression) Diagnosable mental health conditions like substance abuse disorder or depressive disorders are common among individuals who commit suicide. For individuals from 15 to 24 years of age, suicide ranks as a leading cause of death.

Why is mental health important?

Good mental health is the cornerstone to being a complete and healthy individual, and raising awareness is crucial in the reduction of the stigma associated with mental health issues and mental health care.

How many people believe mental health is equally important as physical health?

76% believe that their mental health is equally as important as their physical health. 52% of those in need of mental health care have tried to tough it out instead of seeking appropriate mental health care.

What are the different categories of mental health?

The main classifications are: AMI – Any Mental Illness.

Can you have one mental disorder and a second?

It is not uncommon for people with one mental health disorder to have a second or more coexisting disorder. For example, someone with anxiety, could also suffer from depression along with alcohol and / or substance abuse.

How much does mental health cost?

The cost of mental health. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans has some type of mental health condition. Spending on mental health treatment and services reached $225 billion in 2019, according to an Open Minds Market Intelligence Report. That number, which is up 52% since 2009, includes spending on things like therapy and prescription medications as well as ...

Which states have the lowest mental health rates?

States like Missouri, Arizona, South Dakota, Montana and Washington are among those with low rates when it comes to meeting the mental health needs of residents. On a national level, research shows that the U.S. is likely to continue to experience a shortage of mental health professionals through 2025. Many providers also still operate outside the ...

What law prohibits insurance from covering mental health?

Access and coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatments have improved in recent years thanks to the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which barred health insurers from making coverage for mental health more restrictive than for physical ailments.

What is the purpose of a treatment locator?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is a government agency, provides a treatment locator to help patients find low-cost treatment facilities across the country.

How much does a therapy session cost?

An hour-long traditional therapy session can range from $65 to $250 for those without insurance, according to therapist directory GoodTherapy.org . A more severe diagnosis, of course, carries heavier lifetime cost burdens. A patient with major depression can spend an average of $10,836 a year on health costs.

Does Medicare cover mental health?

Right now, Medicare offers one of the worst coverage options for those with mental health and substance use issues. Medicare, for example, has a 190-day lifetime limit on psychiatric inpatient care.

Do people with mental health problems get treatment?

What generally happens is that most people don’t get treatment for it, or they might get some treatment, but not effective treatment,” she says. In fact, less than half of Americans who have a mental disorder get proper treatment, according to National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).

Key Findings

Image
Data from the National Health Interview Survey 1. In 2019, 19.2% of adults had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional. 2. Women were more lik…
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Women Were More Likely Than Men to Have Received Any Mental Health Treatment.

  1. Nearly one in four women received any mental health treatment (24.7%) in the past 12 months, compared with 13.4% of men (Figure 2).
  2. Women were more likely than men to have taken medication for their mental health (20.6% and 10.7%, respectively) and to have received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional (11.7%...
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Summary

  • In 2019, 19.2% of U.S. adults received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional. While the percentage of adults who had taken medication for their mental health increased with age,...
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Definitions

  • Any mental health treatment: A composite measure of adults who reported having taken medication for their mental health, received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional, or both in the past 12 months. Race and Hispanic origin: Adults categorized as Hispanic may be of any race or combination of races. Adults categorized as non-Hispanic white …
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Data Source and Methods

  • Data from the 2019 NHIS were used for this analysis. NHIS is a nationally representative household survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. It is conducted continuously throughout the year by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Interviews are conducted in respondents’ homes, but follow-ups to complete interviews may be conducted over the teleph…
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About The Authors

  • Emily P. Terlizzi and Benjamin Zablotsky are with the National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics.
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References

  1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Healthexternal...
  2. American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
  1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Healthexternal...
  2. American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
  3. Eaton NR, Keyes KM, Krueger RF, Balsis S, Skodol AE, Markon KE, et al. An invariant dimensional liability model of gender differences in mental disorder prevalence: Evidence from a national sample....
  4. MacKenzie CS, Gekoski WL, Knox VJ. Age, gender, and the underutilization of mental health services: The influence of help-seeking attitudes. Aging Ment Health 10(6):574–82. 2006.

Suggested Citation

  • Terlizzi EP, Zablotsky B. Mental health treatment among adults: United States, 2019. NCHS Data Brief, no 380. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2020.
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