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Mental health cases on the rise

As of May 2024, 65% of U.S. adults report experiencing concerns about their own mental health or the mental health of their friends and family (up 15% from 2020), notes a CVS Health survey.¹

Mental health diagnoses in the U.S. have increased nearly 40% from 2019-2023. One mental health organization reported a 500% rise in claims in the past year – attributing this sudden surge to the shift in perception of receiving behavioral health treatment.²

However, there are still several barriers hindering individuals from receiving effective behavioral health treatment, including access to care, financial hurdles, misdiagnoses, and a lack of diagnoses all together. But before hospitals and health systems can combat this rise, it is important to understand where we currently stand as a population.

Behavioral health by the numbers

• • • Depression alone affects 280 million people and is among the largest single causes of disability worldwide, affecting 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men. ³
    • People with major depression and schizophrenia have a 40%- 60% are more likely to die prematurely than the general population.⁴
    • In 2023, the top mental health diagnoses were generalized anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – with ADHD experiencing the largest surge at more than 70%.²
    • More than 1 in 4 U.S. adults living with serious mental health problems also Â鶹Éçmadou a substance use problem – often referred to as a co-occurring condition.⁵

It is estimated that the collective global impact of mental disorders – in terms of lost economic output – will exceed $16 trillion by 2030.⁴

One overarching question being asked by health leaders is, “What can be done to improve these numbers?”

2030 behavioral health goals

To combat these growing behavioral health cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) Â鶹Éçmadou laid out several initiatives for healthcare organizations across the globe to attain by the year 2030. Some key targets highlighted in the report include having 80% of countries double the number of community-based mental health facilities, as well as integrate mental health into primary care settings.⁴

These goals are only attainable if every hospital and health system participates – making the integrating of behavioral health services more important than ever before.

The role of behavioral health partnership in patient outcomes

In their same report, WHO recommends hospitals and health systems develop comprehensive community-based mental health services to integrate into general hospitals and primary care settings. By doing so, continuity of care is improved as patients are able to receive care under the same roof.⁴

One way hospitals are able to integrate a behavioral health program into their existing hospital service lines is through a specialized behavioral health partner. A partner relieves the burden of building and running a successful program – especially beneficial because behavioral health operates very differently from the hospital’s core acute offerings. Further, it provides industry leading clinical and operational expertise to help achieve excellent outcomes – all without expending unnecessary resources and capital.

Is your hospital interested in expanding its service offerings to meet the growing need of behavioral health patients in your community? Contact us today.

You also may be interested in our white paper: “Behavioral Health: Expanding Needed Access Across Communities.”

References:

1. https://www.cvshealth.com/news/mental-health/cvs-health-survey-shows-mental-health-concerns-continue-to-rise.html
2. https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/mental-health-diagnoses-take-unprecedented-leap/
3. https://www.projecthope.org/news-stories/story/the-global-mental-health-crisis-10-numbers-to-note/  
4. https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789240031029
5. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/mental-health-substance-use-co-occurring-disorders#:~:text=More%20than%20one%20in%20four,Personality%20Disorder