A House subcommittee roundtable is examining worsening mental health outcomes in the U.S. despite expanded access to care.
Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services Chairman Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., said the number of adults receiving mental health treatment grew from about 27 million in 2002 to nearly 60 million in 2024, while outcomes have declined, according to a March 26 news release.
Depression and suicide rates have reached historic or multidecade highs, and Americans report worse mental health than prior generations, he said in the release. The chairman also pointed to rising costs, with mental health and substance use disorder spending increasing from $40.9 billion in 2000 to $139.6 billion in 2021.
Mental health and substance use disorder spending growth has outpaced overall medical services, rising at an average annual rate of 3.27% compared to 2.21%. In 2000, mental health and substance use disorders accounted for 4.5% of medical spending and 5.5% in 2021.
Between 2016 and 2022, antidepressant prescriptions for individuals ages 12 to 25 increased by more than 63%, with more than 221 million prescriptions dispensed to 18 million individuals.
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