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Cited by 581Mental Health Treatment and AccessPsychiatric care and mental health servicesSchizophrenia research and treatment

Adequacy of Treatment for Serious Mental Illness in the United States

Open access
Wang, Philip S., Demler, Olga, Kessler, Ronald C.·2002·American Journal of Public Health
DOI 10.2105/ajph.92.1.92PMC PMC1447396
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Abstract

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of treatment for serious mental illness. Methods. Data were derived from the National Comorbidity Survey, a cross-sectional, nationally representative household survey assessing the presence and correlates of mental disorders and treatments. Crude and adjusted likelihoods of receiving treatment for serious mental illness in the previous 12 months were calculated. Results. Forty percent of respondents with serious mental illness had received treatment in the previous year. Of those receiving treatment, 38.9% received care that could be considered at least minimally adequate, resulting in 15.3% of all respondents with serious mental illness receiving minimally adequate treatment. Predictors of not receiving minimally adequate treatment included being a young adult or an African American, residing in the South, being diagnosed as having a psychotic disorder, and being treated in the general medical sector. Conclusions. Inadequate treatment of serious mental illness is an enormous public health problem. Public policies and cost-effective interventions are needed to improve both access to treatment and quality of treatment.

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  • Recommended psychotherapies for depression are not always delivered effectively or consistently.

    “Nor are they always delivered effectively or consistently (e.g. Wang et al ., 2002).”

    From Supervisor practice when guiding therapists working with depression: The impact of supervisor and patient characteristics (2018) · cites this paper as Wang et al ., 2002

    The Methods define minimally adequate care for mood disorders partly by the number of specialist visits, drawing on the session counts used in efficacious psychotherapies. The Results report that only 48.2% of treated people with serious mood disorders received minimally adequate care. This supports inconsistent delivery of adequate treatment, but the study does not establish whether recommended psychotherapies for depression specifically were delivered effectively. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • In the United States, only about one third of people needing mental health care receive adequate care.

    “In the US, only a third of those in need receive adequate mental health care 25 .”

    From Measuring and improving the quality of mental health care: a global perspective (2018) · cites this paper as [25]

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

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Authors
Wang, P. S., Demler, O., & Kessler, R. C.
Affiliations
Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
ORCID
Venue
American Journal of Public Health
Publisher
American Public Health Association
Published
2002-01
Volume
92
Issue
1
Pages
92-98
ISSN
  • 0090-0036 (ISSN-L)
  • 1541-0048
DOI
10.2105/ajph.92.1.92
PMC
PMC1447396
OpenAlex
W2101513837
Cited by
581
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 53 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 33
FWCI
28.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • American Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • William T. Grant Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01mh052861-04, 2k05mh000507-13, 5k01mh001651-04)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH52861, K05 MH 00507, K01 MH01651, R01MH046376, R01 MH46376, Z01MH000507, R01-MH49098, R01MH049098)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychiatric care and mental health services
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
Keywords
severe mental illness, psychotherapy, treatment adequacy, access to mental health care, mental health care quality, treatment utilization, National Comorbidity Survey, African Americans, young adults, Southern United States, psychosis, general medical care, health disparities
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Anxiety Disorders, Mental Disorders, Black or African American, Education, Female, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Income, Male, Middle Aged, Psychotic Disorders, Public Health, United States, Multivariate Analysis, Logistic Models, Marital Status, Mood Disorders, White People

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