However, fewer than half of those who experience a mental illness will seek treatment. Mental illness is treatable, and people with mental illnesses can and do live fulfilling, productive, and happy lives. But the longer mental health conditions go untreated, the more severe they become.
Full Answer
What percentage of people with mental health concerns receive treatment?
Feb 28, 2022 · Myth: I can't do anything for a person with a mental health problem. Fact: Friends and loved ones can make a big difference. In 2020, only 20% of adults received any mental health treatment in the past year, which included 10% who received counseling or therapy from a …
What are the benefits of seeking mental health treatment?
Stigma also can lead to a reluctance to seek help or treatment. Nearly 20% of Americans will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. However, fewer than half of those who experience a mental illness will seek treatment. Mental illness is treatable, and people with mental illnesses can and do live fulfilling, productive, and happy lives.
Are women more likely to have received any mental health treatment?
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. In 2020, among the 52.9 million adults with AMI, 24.3 million (46.2%) received mental health services in the past year.
Is it worth going to a mental health professional?
May 23, 2017 · 20% of youth have a mental health condition, with one in 10 young people having experienced a period of major depression. Members of the LGBTQ community are twice as likely as straight individuals to have a mental health condition. 70-90% of people who seek proper treatment for mental health disorders witness a significant reduction in symptoms.
What percentage of mentally ill people receive 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.
Why do people not receive mental health treatment?
People cited many reasons for not receiving needed services in 2018, including cost (39%), thinking they could handle the problem without treatment (26%), not knowing where to go for services (24%) and not having time (20%). Fewer people cited cost in 2018 than in 2008 (39% vs. 45%).Jul 1, 2020
What percentage of adults with mental illness do not receive treatment?
In 2019, 24.7% of adults with a mental illness report an unmet need for treatment. Over 60% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. Even in states with the greatest access, nearly one in three are going without treatment.
Do people with mental illness seek treatment?
Despite this progress, many people who need help for a mental health issue don't seek it. A study by the World Health Organization, or WHO, found that between 30 and 80 percent of people with mental health issues don't seek treatment.Jan 15, 2019
What is the common barrier for not receiving mental health services among adults?
The results revealed that the most common barriers are fear of stigmatization, lack of awareness of mental health services, sociocultural scarcity, scarcity of financial support, and lack of geographical accessibility, which limit the patients to utilize mental health services.Mar 22, 2021
Why is it so hard to get a mental health diagnosis?
While brain imaging can show how mental illness affects the brain, it's not used for diagnosis. Further, there are no blood or other lab tests to show a mental illness. Receiving a diagnosis of mental illness can feel like nothing more than trial and error.Aug 17, 2016
How many mentally ill people have no treatment?
Health and support In low- and middle-income countries, between 76% and 85% of people with mental disorders receive no treatment for their disorder. A further compounding problem is the poor quality of care for many of those who do receive treatment.Nov 28, 2019
Why is mental health such a big issue now?
Mental health conditions are increasing worldwide. Mainly because of demographic changes, there has been a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade (to 2017). Mental health conditions now cause 1 in 5 years lived with disability.
Who is more prone to mental illness?
Women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from major depression than men. However, men and women are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder. While major depression can develop at any age, the average age at onset is the mid-20s.
Why Treating mental health is important?
Mental health services also reduce the risk of chronic diseases related to stress, anxiety and substance abuse. Most importantly, mental health services save lives, while improving the outlook for people who may feel hopeless and lost.
How many people get mental treatments?
In 2020, among the 14.2 million adults with SMI, 9.1 million (64.5%) received mental health treatment in the past year.
How effective is mental health treatment?
The best treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective; between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have a significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.
Myth: Mental Health Problems Don't Affect me.
Fact: Mental health problems are actually very common. In 2014, about: 1. One in five American adults experienced a mental health issue 2. One in 1...
Myth: Children Don't Experience Mental Health Problems.
Fact: Even very young children may show early warning signs of mental health concerns. These mental health problems are often clinically diagnosabl...
Myth: People With Mental Health Problems Are Violent and unpredictable.
Fact: The vast majority of people with mental health problems are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. Most people with mental illness ar...
Myth: People With Mental Health Needs, Even Those Who Are Managing Their Mental Illness, Cannot Tolerate The Stress of Holding Down A Job.
Fact: People with mental health problems are just as productive as other employees. Employers who hire people with mental health problems report go...
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%...
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, the percentage who had re…
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.