Health Services Utilization
Mental Health Care Utilization
In 2004, an estimated 27.5 million U.S. adults
reported receiving mental health treatment in the past year. Women
represented more than two-thirds of users of mental health services.
The most common type of treatment obtained by adults was prescription
medication, followed by outpatient treatment. Nearly 15.5 million
women used prescription medication for treatment of a mental or
emotional condition. While this is still twice the number of men
(7.1 million) who received similar treatment, it represents a 1
million decline from 2003, when 16.5 million adult women used prescription
medication for treatment of a mental or emotional condition.
Mental health services are needed, but not received,
by millions of adults in this country. Those with serious psychological
distress are in particular need of services. In 2004, of the 13.4
million women aged 18 or older who reported having serious psychological
distress in the past year, nearly one-half (6.4 million women) said
they did not receive any type of mental health treatment or counseling.
When asked to define their own perceived unmet need, cost was the
reason most often cited for not receiving needed mental health treatment.
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VERTICAL BAR CHART: Adults Aged 18 and Older Receiving
Mental Health Treatment/Counseling by Sex and Treatment/Counseling
Type, 2004
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