Mental Health

Behavioral health (BH) conditions are rising among older adults, who are less likely to receive mental health (MH) or substance use disorder (SUD) treatment compared to younger adults. This study examined the availability of care for older adults in outpatient BH facilities across the United States both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Children, youth, and families have unique health needs, which set the foundation for health across the life course; chronic conditions now affect nearly one in three U.S. children, with disproportionate prevalence in those enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

In the United States, accessing behavioral health care is a persistent and complex challenge, even among those with insurance coverage. Behavioral health care access challenges stem from a combination of provider shortages, systemic barriers, and logistical hurdles. People frequently encounter difficulties determining the type of provider or level of care that best suits their needs.

Recent federal policy discussions have renewed focus on psychiatric medication use among children and adolescents. Psychiatric medications represent one evidence-based component within a spectrum of effective treatments for pediatric mental illness, alongside psychotherapy, family-based interventions, and school supports.

Older adults with behavioral health disorders often experience worse health and functional outcomes, have higher rates of emergency department visits, use more medications, and have higher health care costs than those without a behavioral health disorder. There is need for a greater understanding of the extent to which older adults experience behavioral health disorders.

The National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) call for a sustainable infrastructure to respond to behavioral health crises, through crisis services that are accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Custody relinquishment occurs when children enter foster care primarily to receive behavioral health or disability services, not because of maltreatment. Parents may relinquish custody for a variety of reasons. Entering foster care could provide children with access to services that are otherwise unavailable due to limited capacity.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and treatment among adults in the United States have increased over the past few decades. However, there are sex, racial, and ethnic disparities in diagnosis and treatment, and underdiagnosis persists.

The U.S. behavioral health (BH) workforce faces significant shortages and distribution disparities, hindering access to quality care and worsening health outcomes. A comprehensive, centralized database of BH providers is vital for advancing patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR), comparative effectiveness research (CER), and evidence-based policymaking.

The first brief below provides insight into children’s and adolescents’ mental health service use in Medicaid and CHIP during the pandemic, by using a national Medicaid claims database.