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.
What percentage of adults take medication for their mental health?
The percentage of adults who had taken medication for their mental health in the past 12 months was higher among those aged 45–64 (17.6%) and 65 and over (17.7%), compared with those aged 18–44 (13.6%).
Are young people with mental illness supported in relation to medication use?
While medication use can be challenging in its own right, there is comparatively little information about the associated experiences and needs of young people with mental illness, particularly in the Australian context. This exploratory study will provide valuable insight into how this group is currently supported in relation to medication use.
Should you take medication for a mental illness?
Taking medication for a mental illness appeared to be easier for participants managing other chronic conditions, such as endometriosis, or using other medication. For example, one participant integrated taking her antidepressant medication with her oral contraceptive pill.
What is an estimate for mental health treatment?
Estimates are also presented for any mental health treatment, defined as having taken medication for mental health, received counseling or therapy, or both in the past 12 months. The percentage of adults who had received any mental health treatment varied by age group.
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 times more likely are people with mental illness to drink alcohol?
Compared to controls, people with severe mental illness were about 4 times more likely to be heavy alcohol users (four or more drinks per day); 3.5 times more likely to use marijuana regularly (21 times per year); and 4.6 times more likely to use other drugs at least 10 times in their lives.
What is the National Institute on Drug Abuse?
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice.
What is the NIH?
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, ...
Do people with schizophrenia have protective factors?
New NIH study shows that certain protective factors do not exist in those with severe mental illness. People with severe mental illness such as schizoph renia or bipolar disorder have a higher risk for substance use, especially cigarette smoking, and protective factors usually associated with lower rates of substance use do not exist in severe ...
Does smoking cause schizophrenia?
Previous research has shown that people with schizophrenia have a shorter life expectancy than the general population, and chronic cigarette smoking has been suggested as a major contributing factor to higher morbidity and mortality from malignancy as well as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Can substance use be underestimated?
These new findings indicate that the rates of substance use in people with severe psychosis may be underestimated, highlighting the need to improve the understanding of the association between substance use and psychotic disorders so that both conditions can be treated effectively.
Does substance use affect schizophrenia?
Studies exploring the link between substance use disorders and other mental illnesses have typically not included people with severe psychotic illnesses. “Drug use impacts many of the same brain circuits that are disrupted in severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow.
Why are older people more sensitive to medications?
Even healthy older people react to medications differently than younger people because older people's bodies process and eliminate medications more slowly.
What is the second line treatment for anxiety?
In the case of panic disorder or social phobia (social anxiety disorder), benzodiazepines are usually second-line treatments, behind SSRIs or other antidepressants. Short half-life (or short-acting) benzodiazepines (such as Lorazepam) and beta-blockers are used to treat the short-term symptoms of anxiety.
What is the purpose of antidepressants?
Antidepressants are medications commonly used to treat depression. Antidepressants are also used for other health conditions, such as anxiety, pain and insomnia. Although antidepressants are not FDA-approved specifically to treat ADHD, antidepressants are sometimes used to treat ADHD in adults.
How to tell if you are prescribed a medication?
If you are prescribed a medication, be sure that you: Tell the doctor about all medications and vitamin supplements you are already taking. Remind your doctor about any allergies and any problems you have had with medicines.
What is mood stabilizer?
Mood stabilizers are used primarily to treat bipolar disorder, mood swings associated with other mental disorders, and in some cases, to augment the effect of other medications used to treat depression.
What is the role of the FDA?
The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy and security of drugs (medications), biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation .
Does NIMH recommend medication?
Resources that may help you find treatment services in your area are listed on our Help for Mental Illnesses web page. NIMH also does not endorse or recommend any particular drug, herb, or supplement.
How does family unit affect mental health?
The family unit often influenced whether, and to what degree, young people accepted a mental illness diagnosis and medication use. Family units with members who had a positive lived experience of mental illness tended to be more accepting of the young person’s need for medication.
Why was switching medications so difficult?
The decision to change medication was often fraught with anxiety ; switching medication was widely considered a challenging and frustrating process of trial and error. However, for some young people, trialling a new medication was associated with optimism and hopefulness that they would find one that was effective:
What is mental health in Australia?
Mental illness remains a key health priority area in Australia, particularly for young people managing the challenges of taking psychotropic medication. Young people persevered with taking medication to manage a mental illness within a healthcare system that does not adequately support this vulnerable population with limited financial capacity. Further to this, there remains a clear directive for healthcare professionals to provide credible information to young people and to engage with them as active participants in their own healthcare. This includes treating young people as an active participant in the treatment process, being aware of the financial burden and capacity for young people to pay for medication, optimising opportunities for the provision of medication information, and attention to therapeutic decision-making in relation to prescribing.
What are the themes of the Medication Experience Model?
This included medication benefit (finding the right medication and effects of medication), side effects (effects of medication), burden (cost of being well), and medication adherence (routine medication use).
What are the challenges of mental health?
Young people face significant challenges when managing a mental illness, such as acquiring treatment autonomy, being inexperienced users of the healthcare system and associated peer-related stigma. While medication use can be challenging in its own right, there is comparatively little information about the associated experiences and needs ...
Does medication help with mental health?
Medication use alleviated symptom severity and improved overall quality of life. Some participants reported that their mental health status had improved to the extent that their self-harming episodes had reduced. Participants generally agreed that medication helped them to function, although few imagined that it guaranteed complete improvement:
Key Findings
Women Were More Likely Than Men to Have Received Any Mental Health Treatment.
- 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).
- 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%...
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 …
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…
About The Authors
- Emily P. Terlizzi and Benjamin Zablotsky are with the National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics.
References
- 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...
- American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
- 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...
- American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
- 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....
- 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.