Provided by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgeon General of the United States of America
Chapter 2
Overview of Mental Health Services
Overall Patterns of Use
According to recent national surveys (Regier et al, 1993b;
Kessler et al., 1996), a total of about 15 percent of the U.S. adult population
use mental health services in any given year. Eleven percent receive their
services from either the general medical care sector or the specialty mental
health sector, in roughly equal proportions. In addition, about 5 percent
receive care from the human services sector, and about 3 percent receive care
from the voluntary support network. (The overlap across these latter two sectors
accounts for these figures totaling more than 15 percent.)
Slightly more than half of the 15 percent of the adult population that use
mental health services have a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder (8
percent), while the remaining portion has a mental health problem (7 percent).
Bearing in mind that 28 percent of the population have a diagnosable mental or
substance abuse disorder, only about one-third with a diagnosable mental
disorder receives treatment in 1 year (Figure 2-5). In short, this translates to
the majority of those with a diagnosable mental disorder not receiving
treatment.
Similarly, about 21 percent of the child and adolescent population use mental
health services annually. Nine percent receive care from the health care sector,
almost exclusively from the specialty mental health sector. Seventeen percent of
the child and adolescent population receive care from the human services sector,
mostly in the school system, yet there is much overlap with the health sector
(again accounting for the sum being more than 21 percent). The distribution of
those who do and do not currently meet diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder
is similar to that for adults (Figure 2-6).
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