(1/28/2013)

STUDY: Americans Just Can’t Afford Mental Health Treatment
Think Progress Health
January 24, 2013

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) has just released its annual report on drug use and mental health disorders in America, and its findings confirm: Americans cannot afford the cost of their mental health treatment — even if they have insurance. The report estimates that 45.6 million American adults suffered from Any Mental Illness (AMI) in 2011, comprising 19.6 percent of the adult population. Of that 45.6 million, a meager 38.2 percent received any sort of mental health services.  While 15 percent of Americans suffering from AMI cited inadequate insurance coverage as their main obstacle to seeking care, a staggering 50 percent said that mental treatment costs are simply too high. And that number includes both insured and uninsured Americans, illustrating how expensive out-of-pocket costs for mental health care are relative to the available coverage.

View the full article here: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/01/24/1489091/americans-just-cant-afford-mental-health-treatment/

Keywords: study, americans, mental, health, treatment, afford