Year: 2022
Type: report
Abstract: Access to care and treatment for mental health issues remains out of reach for most of the population in the United States even though more than one-fifth of U.S. adults (21%, 52.9 million) had a mental illness 1 in 2020. 2 Even among individuals with insurance, issues such as a lack of available providers, inadequate insurance coverage, high out-of-pocket costs, and fragmented care persist.This brief defines the barriers to accessing mental health care in the United States and highlights the key focus areas policymakers should prioritize to improve access, coverage, and affordability of care. This Isn't New…and It's Getting WorseFrom 2008 to 2019, the number of adults aged 18 or older with any mental illness increased from 39.8 million to 51.5 million, a nearly 30% increase.3 The pandemic has further exacerbated mental health problems for all ages; among adults aged 18 or older who had serious thoughts of suicide in 2020, more than one-fifth (21%) listed COVID-19 as the reason for those thoughts.2 While progress has been made to reduce the stigma around mental health issues, the problem persists and prevents many people from accessing care.4 The United States is also facing a growing youth mental health crisis.From 2009 to 2019, the share of high school students who reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased 41%. 5 From 2010 to 2020, suicide death rates increased by 62% among adolescents aged 12 to 17. 6 In early 2021, emergency department visits for suicide attempts were 51% higher for adolescent girls and 4% higher for adolescent boys than in early 2019.7 Furthermore, in October 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children's Hospital Association declared child and adolescent mental health a national emergency.8
Authors: Hemangi Modi, Kendal Orgera, Atul Grover
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4387108957