According to a new UCLA study, 2 million Californians report mental health needs; however, most receive little or no treatment. The report, which was released November 30 by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, found that the situation exists despite a state law mandating that health insurance providers include mental health treatment in their coverage options. The report, which provides some of the first comprehensive data in recent years on the mental health of California's adult population, found that one in 12 Californians reported symptoms consistent with serious psychological distress and experienced difficulty functioning at home or at work. More than half of these adults reported receiving no treatment for their disorders, and about one-quarter received "inadequate" treatment, defined as less than four visits with a health professional over the past 12 months or using prescription drugs to manage mental health needs.
The study extracted data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), which is conducted by the center. "There is a huge gap between needing help and getting help," said David Grant, the study's lead author and director of CHIS. "The data also shows large disparities in mental health status and treatment by demographic, economic and social factors. These findings can help direct the state's limited resources to those in greatest need of help."
Among the findings:
Insurance
Not surprisingly, uninsured adults had the highest rate of unmet needs (87%), which includes receiving no treatment or receiving less than minimally adequate treatment; 66% of these adults received no treatment. However, 77% of privately insured and 65% of publically insured Californians reported unmet needs. Although poverty and mental health needs are strongly correlated, the lower rate of unmet needs by public program participants suggests that these programs are more likely to effectively offer mental health services than even private insurance policies.
Single parents under stress
Single adults with children had more than double the rate of mental health needs (17%) when compared with all adults (8%). Single adults without children had the next highest rate (11%). Married adults with or without children had the lowest rates of mental health needs (6% and 5%, respectively.)
U.S.–born Latinos have greater need than immigrants
Almost 12% of Latinos born in the U.S. needed mental health treatment, almost twice the level of Latino immigrants.
Racial groups
Approximately 17% of Native Americans and Alaskans had mental health needs, the highest of all racial and ethnic groups. Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and multi-racial groups had the next highest rate, at 13%.
Lesbian, gay and bisexual adults
Nearly 20% of these adults needed mental health treatment: more than double the statewide rate.
Link to chronic health conditions
Compared to the general adult population, those with mental health needs had higher rates of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and asthma. They were more than twice as likely to report fair or poor health status and five times more likely to report poor health.
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