Adult Ranking
States with high rankings have lower prevalence of mental illness and higher rates of access to care for adults. Lower rankings indicate that adults have higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care.
The 7 measures that make up the Adult Ranking include:
- Adults with Any Mental Illness (AMI)
- Adults with Alcohol Dependence and Illicit Drugs Use (Marijuana, Heroin, and Cocaine)
- Adults with Serious Thoughts of Suicide
- Adults with AMI who Did Not Receive Treatment
- Adults with AMI Reporting Unmet Need
- Adults with AMI who are Uninsured
- Adults with Disability Who Could Not See a Doctor Due to Costs
Adult Prevalence of Mental Illness - Adults with Any Mental Illness (AMI)
According to SAMHSA, “Any Mental Illness (AMI) is defined as having a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder, other than a developmental or substance use disorder. Any mental illness includes persons who have mild mental illness, moderate mental illness, and serious mental illness.
18.01% of adults struggle with a mental health problems annual. Equivalent to 43.4 million Americans.
4.2 million live with an Anxiety Disorder.
16 million live with Major Depression.
The state prevalence of mental illness ranges from 15.91% in Hawaii to 21.67% in New Hampshire.
Adult with Alcohol Dependence and Illicit Drugs Use
SAMHSA reports that the term “Illicit Drugs” includes marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used non-medically, including data from original methamphetamine questions but not including new methamphetamine items added in 2005 and 2006.
8.47% of adults in America reported having a substance use or alcohol problem. Alcohol Dependence and Illicit Drug Use is influenced by state demographics including: age, degree of urbanicity, and economic conditions.
This year the measure Adult with Alcohol Dependence and Illicit Drugs Use (Marijuana, Heroin, and Cocaine) was determined by calculating, and summing, the Z scores for measures Adult Alcohol Dependence in the Past Year, Adult Marijuana Use in the Past Year, Adult Cocaine Use in the Past Year, and Adult Heroin Use in the Past Year.
Adults with Serious Thoughts of Suicide
The percentage of adults reporting serious thoughts of suicide is 3.99%. The estimated number of adults with serious suicidal thoughts equals 9.6 million individuals.
The state prevalence of adult with serious thoughts of suicide range from Texas at 3.46% to Utah at 5.25%.
Adults with AMI who are Uninsured
14.7% (over 6.3 million) of adults with a mental illness remain uninsured.
Missouri (7.7%), South Carolina (2.7%), and Kansas (2.4%) had the largest increase in Adults with AMI who are Uninsured –three states that have not adopted Medicaid expansion.
With a national focus on health care access, the uninsured rate is improving (3% reduction).
Unfortunately, having insurance coverage does not mean access needed treatment.
56.5% of adults with mental illness received no past year treatment, and for those seeking treatment, 20.1% continue to report unmet treatment needs.
The state prevalence of uninsured adults with mental illness ranges from 3.3% in Massachusetts to 23.8% in South Carolina.
Adults with AMI who Did Not Receive Treatment
55.8% of adults with a mental illness received no treatment. Lack of access to treatment is slowly improving. In 2011, 59% of adults with a mental health problem did not receive any mental health treatment.
Reasons for not receiving treatment can be individual or systemic.
Making screening tools accessible would allow individuals to learn about, and address their mental health concerns. Additionally, establishing contact with a healthcare provider at onset is critical. The integration of behavioral health and general healthcare would ensure that individuals’ mental health conditions, and their physical manifestations are more quickly identified and treated.
The state prevalence of untreated adults with mental illness ranges from 41.4% in Massachusetts to 66.0% in Nevada.
Adults with AMI Reporting Unmet Need
One out of five (20.1%) adults with a mental illness report they are not able to get the treatment they need. Unlike the number of people with mental illness who did not receive treatment, the individuals who are reporting unmet need are seeking treatment and facing barriers to getting the help they need.
Where you live could determine whether you receive timely treatment: individuals living in states with the highest levels of unmet need (bottom 10) were 1.6 times more likely to have people report unmet need.
Across the country, several systemic barriers to accessing care exclude and marginalize individuals with a great need. These include the following:
- Lack of insurance or inadequate insurance
- Lack of available treatment providers
- Lack of available treatment types (inpatient treatment, individual therapy, intensive community services)
- Insufficient finances to cover costs – including, copays, uncovered treatment types, or when providers do not take insurance.
The state prevalence of adults with AMI reporting unmet treatment needs ranges from 14.4% in Hawaii to 25.2% in the District of Columbia.
Adults with Disability Who Could Not See a Doctor Due to Costs
21.62% of adults with a disability were not able to see a doctor due to costs. An estimated 47% of adults are not receiving treatment because of costs.
People with mental health problems are more likely to have no insurance or to be on public insurance (43%).The inability to pay for treatment, due to high treatment costs and/or inadequate insurance coverage remains a barrier for those individuals despite being insured.
The prevalence of adults with disability who couldn’t see a MD due to cost ranges from 12.45% in Hawaii to 30.91% in Mississippi.
