The share of patients with anxiety and/or depression not receiving treatment increased between 2018 and 2024, even as medication use and prescribing volumes grew, according to an April 16 Trilliant Health study.
Here are five notes from the study:
- The share of patients with anxiety and/or depression not receiving treatment rose from 19% to 22.4% from 2018 to 2024, peaking at 25.1% in 2020.
- Treatment mix shifted: medication-only use increased from 17.8% to 19.4%, while combined therapy and medication declined from 25.2% to 20%.
- Behavioral health medication use grew broadly, with stimulant use rising 53.3% and overall patient volume increasing more than 20%.
- Prescribing shifted toward nonphysicians: allied health providers grew from 20.7% to 34.3% of volume; combined with primary care, they accounted for 65.9% in 2024.
- Workforce constraints persist, with a 27.3% mental health professional adequacy rate and projected shortages of 36,780 adult psychiatry and 99,780 mental health counseling FTEs by 2038.
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