Limiting Step Therapy on Mental Health Medications: Why a More Expansive Approach Is Needed
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The United States is experiencing a mental health crisis.More than one in five adults-almost sixty million people-had a diagnosable mental illness in 2023. 1 Of these adults, 14.6 million adults had a serious mental illness (SMI) that substantially interfered with or limited major life activities.2 More than one in ten adults (or 40.4% of adults with a mental illness) were prescribed a medication to help manage their mental health.3 Nearly six in ten adults with an SMI manage their mental illness with a medication.4 Dafna Michaelson Jenet is one of those Americans.5 She has major depressive disorder (MDD).6 For a while, Dafna took a medication that helped her successfully manage her MDD.7 But one day, the medication stopped working and Dafna's depressive symptoms returned, leaving her unable to function or get out of bed.8 Dafna's doctor prescribed a new medication-Trintellix-to help Dafna manage her MDD.9 Dafna checked her formulary, which listed the drugs covered by her health 1 SUBSTANCE ABUSE & MENTAL HEALTH SERVS.ADMIN.
DOI: 10.60095/krhq9878
Author: Joseph Keller
Language: English
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4409325347