When
it comes to mental illness in the United States, the healthcare system may come
up short for those who need it most.
A new study published today from the
New York University School of Medicine concludes that many people with mental health
issues encounter significant barriers to proper medical treatments.
That’s
despite new legislation, in particular the Affordable Care Act (ACA), approved
in 2010.
Researchers
examined serious psychological distress (SPD) in adults between 2006 and 2014.
They
wrote that they discovered that “compared with adults without SPD, adults with
SPD had an increased risk of forgoing healthcare and prescription medications
because of cost and were more likely to be uninsured.”
SPD is
not a diagnosis for mental illness but rather a scale used to measure the
mental health of a given community by gauging negative emotions such as
sadness, hopelessness, and nervousness, Judith Weissman, PhD, JD, research
manager at New York University, and lead author of the study, told Healthline.
“SPD
strongly covaries with serious mental illness,” she said. “It is associated
with reduced functioning, and an inability to work or attend school, and causes
impairment with daily living based on the negative emotional states.”
Read more: Mental health problems for college students are increasing »
Comparing
data
The
researchers used data from the National Health Interview Survey, an assessment conducted
by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Weissman
and her team were able to compare healthcare utilization of those with SPD with
those without it.
Healthcare
utilization was measured through a series of metrics including inability to buy
prescription drugs because of money issues, delay in healthcare because of a
lack of money, or having to change where they sought treatment due to insurance
issues.
In
2006, the first year of the survey, 9 percent of Americans with SPD didn’t have
health insurance.
In
2014 that number was slightly higher at 9.5 percent.
Similarly,
in 2006, 9 percent experienced delays getting treatment due to lack of mental
health coverage. By 2014 that number increased to 10 percent.
“Based on our data, we estimate that millions of Americans
have a level of emotional functioning that leads to lower quality of life and
life expectancy,” Weissman said in a press release.
Furthermore, she told Healthline, adults with SPD “appear to
have more chaotic and less effective use of healthcare compared to those
without, hence they are in poorer health.”
Read more: Shortage of therapists disrupting mental healthcare »
Multiple
mental health problems
Compounding the problem of accessibility, a new
study from Duke University also points out that
those with mental illness may often suffer from more than just one disorder.
Researchers examined the prevalence and
potential reasons for “comorbidity” a term used to describe when an individual
has multiple mental disorders at once.
Approximately half of individuals who meet
the criteria for a single mental disorder will also meet the criteria for a
second disorder, researchers say. That makes treatment even more difficult.
“Clinically, comorbidity is associated with
greater severity of impairment and complexity in treatment planning, compliance,
and coordination of services,” the study authors wrote.
Researchers examined the “p-factor,” a
statistical way to measure the overlap of different kinds of mental illness,
such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
A person with many of these issues would have
a higher p-factor score than someone with one mental health condition.
Practically, “the p-factor suggests that there
may be a general factor of psychopathology” that can be accounted for. The
study authors say that this could provide a new way to approach treatment of
mental illness.
“If we continue to find support for the link
between the ‘p-factor’ and the cerebellum, our research raises interesting
questions about when and how this link emerges and how we might use that
information to intervene more effectively,” study authors Ahmad Hariri, PhD,
and Adrienne Romer, told Healthline.
“There may be more efficient ways of treating
mental illnesses by targeting their shared characteristics,” they said.
Read more: Mental health data missing from electronic health records »
The post Services Lacking for People with Mental Health Issues appeared first on How People Do.
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