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About one in five Americans has a mental illness; however, less than half of those receive treatment.
The findings come from the annual State of Mental Health in America study from Mental Health America. The study estimates that about 56 percent of those with a mental illness received no treatment for it. Treatment for youth is part of the problem. For example, the study notes that about 80 percent of children with severe depression receive inadequate treatment.
In general, treatment and access to care tends to be better in the Northeast—Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts were all in the top five best states, according to the study. (The study considered 15 factors in ranking the states, including number of health professionals per capita and percentage of people with mental illness receiving care.)
Florida ranked 28th overall, and the problems here are reflective of what’s happening nationwide. The study estimated that about two-thirds of people with mental illness in Florida don’t receive treatment.
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