In 2005, over 28 million adults in the United
States reported receiving mental health treatment
in the past year. Women represented approximately
two-thirds of users of mental health
services. The most common type of treatment
obtained was prescription medication, followed
by outpatient treatment. Almost 16 million
women reported using prescription medication
for treatment of a mental or emotional condition,
representing 14.1 percent of women aged 18 and
older, compared to 7.0 percent of men. Outpatient
treatment was reported by 8.9 percent of
women, and inpatient treatment was reported by
1.1 percent of women.
Mental health services are needed, but not
received, by millions of adults in the United
States. In 2005, 3.7 percent of women and
2.3 percent of men reported an unmet need for
mental health treatment or counseling. Cost or
no insurance was the most commonly reported
reason for not receiving needed services, reported
by 47.1 percent of women and 51.8 percent of
men with unmet mental health treatment needs.
Others mentioned feeling that they could handle
their problems without treatment (reported by
34.3 percent of women and 28.8 percent of men
with unmet needs). In addition, stigma, including
concern about the opinions of others, effects
on employment, or feelings of shame, embarrassment,
or fear prevented 19.6 percent of women
and 24.0 percent of men with unmet needs from
receiving treatment.
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VERTICAL BAR CHART: Adults Aged 18 and Older Receiving
Mental Health Treatment/Counseling by Sex and Type, 2005
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HORIZONTAL BAR CHART: Reasons for Unmet Mental Health Treatment Needs Among Adults Aged 18 and Older, by Sex, 2005
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