The majority of those affected do not seek treatment.
Only 19% of all 17.8 million people with a 12-month diagnosis say they have visited the health care system because of their mental health problems in the last year. 16% of these people received outpatient treatment, 2.3% received inpatient treatment, and 3.5% received services from complementary institutions (e.g., counseling centers or self-help groups). This is only about 3.4 million people.
Only one in five
of those suffering
seek treatment.
Sociodemographic differences are also evident in the utilization of the health care system. Women are more likely to seek professional help than men. Regardless of gender, older people are least likely to seek therapy (women 15%; men 4%). In the context of higher rates of illness among people of lower socioeconomic status, unemployed people are significantly more likely than employed people to report having sought treatment in their lifetime (48% vs. 38% among employed people).
Looking at the different medical conditions, differences in utilization behavior also emerge. People suffering from social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, dysthymia, panic disorder and psychotic disorder are the most likely to report having sought treatment in the past 12 months (between 40% and 50%). Substance-related disorders and eating disorders are the groups with the lowest utilization rates (between 10% and 25%). The more diseases a person has, the more likely he or she is to seek help from the health system. Nevertheless, even with 4 or more illnesses, only about 40% of those with the illness report having sought treatment.
The utilization of the
health care system
also depends on the
condition in question.
The abovementioned data clearly indicate that mental illnesses affect large parts of the population. Some groups are particularly at risk of developing mental disorders. In addition, it is clear that many people who suffer from psychological illnesses do not get the help they need.
The reason why so few people seek treatment will be discussed in the next blog entry.
