Treatment FAQ

what percentage of people recieve treatment for mental conditions

by Prof. Tyshawn Harber Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

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.

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.

What percentage of people with mental illness have substance use disorders?

18.4% of U.S. adults with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2019 (9.5 million individuals) The rate of unemployment is higher among U.S. adults who have mental illness (5.8%) compared to those who do not (3.6%)

What is the prevalence of mental disorders?

Approximately, one out of seven people around the globe suffers from one or more mental disorders, including those induced by substance abuse. Anxiety disorders seem to have the highest prevalence rates.

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.

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%).

What is the prevalence of SMI?

The prevalence of SMI was higher among females (6.5%) than males (3.9%).

What is the non response rate for adolescents?

The overall adolescent non-response rate was 24.4% . This is made up of non-response rates of 14.1% in the household sample, 18.2% in the un-blinded school sample, and 77.7% in the blinded school sample. Non-response was largely due to refusal (21.3%), which in the household and un-blinded school samples came largely from parents rather than adolescents (72.3% and 81.0%, respectively). The refusals in the blinded school sample, in comparison, came almost entirely (98.1%) from parents failing to return the signed consent postcard.

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.

Can you be detected with a mental disorder that is not included in the diagnostic module?

People who only have disorders that are not included in these diagnostic modules may not be adequately detected. However, there are known patterns of high comorbidities among mental disorders; these patterns increase the likelihood that people who meet AMI and/or SMI criteria were detected by the study, as they may also have one or more of the disorders assessed in the SCID-I/NP.

How many people with mental illness do not receive mental health treatment?

About 3 in 5 people ( 63%) with a history of mental illness do not receive mental health treatment while incarcerated in state and federal prisons. Less than half of people ( 45%) with a history of mental illness receive mental health treatment while held in local jails.

How many people have mental illness in 2019?

5.2 % of U.S. adults experienced serious mental illness in 2019 (13.1 million people). This represents 1 in 20 adults.

How much money does mental illness cost the economy?

Across the U.S. economy, serious mental illness causes $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year. 20.5% of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. have a serious mental health condition. 37% of adults incarcerated in the state and federal prison system have a diagnosed mental illness.

How many people in prison have mental illness?

About 2 in 5 people who are incarcerated have a history of mental illness ( 37% in state and federal prisons and 44% held in local jails). 66% of women in prison reported having a history of mental illness, almost twice the percentage of men in prison.

How many emergency department visits are there for mental health?

Mental illness and substance use disorders are involved in 1 out of every 8 emergency department visits by a U.S. adult (estimated 12 million visits) Mood disorders are the most common cause of hospitalization for all people in the U.S. under age 45 ( after excluding hospitalization relating to pregnancy and birth)

How many hours a week do caregivers spend?

Caregivers of adults with mental or emotional health issues spend an average of 32 hours per week providing unpaid care

Do non-white people go to jail?

Among incarcerated people with a mental health condition, non-white individuals are more likely to go to solitary confinement, be injured, and stay longer in jail.

The Significance Of Mental Illness

Most people are curious about why people actually suffer from mental illness. By taking a step back and examining the science of mental illness you will be able to unlock the mystery behind mental illness and how it manifests itself.

Statistics

Although mental illness affects 1 in every 4 adults, only 36% of people with a mental disorder actually receive treatment. Approximately 1 in every 2 people diagnosed as having a mental disorder may suffer from multiple disorders. Let’s take a look at the various types of mental disorders.

Effects on the Brain

What actually happens in the brain of someone suffering from mental illness? Studies have shown that there is in fact a chemical imbalance which is responsible for the development of many mental disorders.

Chemical Effects on Mental Disorders

What chemicals are linked to mental disorders? Several different chemicals have been associated with mental disorders including acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, gaba (gamma-amino butyric acid, norepinephrine, adrenaline and epinephrine. Levels of these chemicals are not properly balanced in people with mental disorders.

Disorders and Mental Illness

Let’s examine what actually takes place in the body of someone who suffers from anxiety disorders, depression and schizophrenia. Anxiety disorders primarily affect your nerve impulses which causes twitching, lightheadedness, nausea, an accelerated heartbeat, as well as weight loss and weight gain.

Depression

Depression is accompanied by headaches, insomnia, muscle aches, joint pain, changes in appetite, back pain, and chest pain. Schizophrenia causes a person to have blank, vacant facial expressions in addition to involuntary movement of the tongue and mouth.

How many people will receive mental health treatment in 2020?

adults who received mental health treatment or counseling within the previous year from 2002 to 2020. In 2020, it was estimated that around 41.4 million adults in the U.S. received mental health treatment or counseling at some time in the previous year.

What is mental health services?

Mental Health Services is defined as having received inpatient treatment/counseling or outpatient treatment/counseling or having used prescription medication for problems with emotions, nerves, or mental health. Respondents were not to include treatment for drug or alcohol use.

How many people don't get treatment for mental illness?

In America, 1 out of 5 adults suffers from a mental illness, but around 60% of them don’t receive treatment. It’s not uncommon for depression to occur with another illness or medical condition. 83% of bipolar disorder patients have a severe case.

What are the statistics on mental health?

10 Key Mental Health Statistics Worldwide 1 In America, 1 out of 5 adults suffers from a mental illness, but around 60% of them don’t receive treatment. 2 It’s not uncommon for depression to occur with another illness or medical condition. 3 83% of bipolar disorder patients have a severe case. 4 Young people from the LGBTQ+ population are 2.5 times more likely to experience symptoms of depression or anxiety or have problems with substance abuse. 5 Mental illness statistics in the USA show that 56% of Americans don’t receive mental health treatment when they need it, often because they don’t have access to mental healthcare. 6 In 2018, police officers shot and killed 987 people in the US, around 245 of whom had serious mental health issues. 7 14.9% of children aged 4 and under whose parents had poor mental health develop a disorder themselves. 8 Women are more likely to experience depression during their lifetimes than men. 9 It’s possible for a patient to suffer from both depression and schizophrenia. 10 Mental health disorders are more prevalent than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.

How many war veterans have mental health issues?

According to data on war veterans’ mental health, statistics show that up to a third of soldiers who’ve been to Iraq and Afghanistan are affected by mental health problems—which can often lead to drug or alcohol abuse. Experts claim that the rationale behind these problems might be that they have difficulties adjusting to their normal lives upon returning from war zones.

How many people in the US don't have mental health?

Mental illness statistics in the USA show that 56% of Americans don’t receive mental health treatment when they need it, often because they don’t have access to mental healthcare. In 2018, police officers shot and killed 987 people in the US, around 245 of whom had serious mental health issues.

Why don't people seek help for mental health?

Many people don’t seek help because of the perceived stigma of mental illness, as the statistics show.

What are the causes of mental illness?

As with most other diseases, mental illnesses are caused by a variety of factors, which range from the physical to the psychological, the most common being genetics, a biochemical imbalance, and external sources of stress.

Why is it important to educate ourselves about mental health?

Also, it’s important to educate ourselves on mental health so that we’re able to recognize any possible symptoms early and seek help.

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 states have reduced AMI?

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%).

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.

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.

Key Findings

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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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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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