One in three American adults with a diagnosed mental health condition receives no treatment whatsoever, according to a sweeping new report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, despite mental health being a top public conversation topic and the expansion of insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act and subsequent legislation.
The report identifies a shortage of 50,000 mental health providers nationwide, geographic deserts in rural areas where the nearest psychiatrist may be 150 miles away, persistent stigma, and out-of-pocket costs that average $200 per session for therapy as the primary barriers to care.
The US spends $280 billion annually on mental health conditions in direct and indirect costs, yet outcomes lag behind virtually every other high-income country. The authors call for emergency funding for 100,000 new mental health providers, expansion of telehealth coverage, and mandatory mental health parity enforcement in insurance markets.