Mental Health, United States, 2010

Excerpt

Mental Health, United States, 2010 is the most recent edition of a publication issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services biannually since 1980. The current volume serves as a comprehensive resource for mental health statistics at the national and State levels; it draws information from 35 different data sources and includes more than 25 exhibits and 130 tables. The volume presents national-level estimates on (1) the mental health of the population, (2) providers and settings for mental health services, and (3) payers and payment mechanisms. In addition, the 2010 volume presents State-level estimates of the mental health of each State's population, as well as provider and payment mechanisms for mental health services at this level.

The 2010 edition of Mental Health, United States provides mental health statistics using the most recent data available. This edition also includes several new tables that provide expanded information on some special populations of interest, such as children and members of the military; mental health service provision in nontraditional settings, such as the use of clubhouses to help integrate people with mental illness into the community; and estimates particularly relevant to States, such as the impact of the recent budget crisis on service provision.

This volume is organized into seven sections. Section 1 provides an introduction to the report and an overview of the current policy context relevant to the U.S. mental health service delivery system. Sections 2 through 5 present background information and exhibits pertinent to the mental health of the population, providers and settings, payers and payment mechanisms, and States, respectively. Section 6, Data Gaps, identifies key areas in which only limited information is available and for which further study may be indicated. Examples of gaps include the need for data that track the incidence and prevalence of mental illness, as well as the recovery process, and detailed estimates on the mental health of certain vulnerable populations, particularly children. Section 7 presents tables with detailed population, provider, payment mechanism, and State estimates.