Use of Mental Health Services and Treatment Among Adults

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) examines the mental health treatment each year through the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). In 2008, 13.4 percent of adults in the United States received treatment for a mental health problem. This includes all adults who received care in inpatient or outpatient settings and/or used prescription medication for mental or emotional problems.

 

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SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) also found in 2008 that just over half (58.7 percent) of adults in the United States with a serious mental illness (SMI) received treatment for a mental health problem. Treatment rates for SMI differed across age groups, and the most common types of treatment were outpatient services and prescription medication.

 

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SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) further found in 2008 that 71 percent of adults who had major depression used mental health services and treatment to help with their disorder. 

 

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The chart below is a further breakdown of the treatment data for 2008 shown in the chart above. It shows the treatment rate for women and men, as well as that for three different age groups of adults. Generally, women and adults over 50 were more likely than men and younger adults to use services for depression.

 

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