Some exhaustive reading from the Federal Government on mental health $'s. Intro excerpt:
BACKGROUND
In any given year, about six percent of adults have a serious mental disorder (Kessler et al., 2005b). A similar percentage of children—about five to nine percent—has a serious emotional disturbance (Friedman et al., 1996). More than nine percent of the population suffers from substance abuse or dependence (SAMHSA, 2005).
Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for individuals ages 15 to 44 (World Health Organization, 2004). Although a range of efficacious treatments is available to ameliorate symptoms of mental illnesses and substance use disorders (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999), financial barriers often stand in the way of receipt of effective treatment. For example, a recent SAMHSA survey finds that among the 11 million adults who reported having unmet need for treatment for mental health problems in the past year, nearly half reported cost or insurance issues as a barrier to treatment receipt (Office of Applied Studies, In Press). Given the immense burden of disability associated with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, it is important to know how much the United States is investing in treatment of these conditions. Moreover, because of the rapid changes occurring in treatment technologies, philosophy, organization, and financing, the extent and character of this investment should be tracked over time.
KEY FINDINGS
Total Mental Health Services and Substance Abuse Treatment Spending
■ National expenditures for the treatment of MHSA disorders amounted to $121 billion in 2003, up from $70 billion in 1993. Spending grew at an average annual rate of 5.6 percent, somewhat slower than spending growth for all health that increased at a 6.5 percent annually on average over the same period. As a result, MHSA spending as a share of all health spending fell to 7.5 percent of the $1.6 trillion spent on all health services in 2003, from 8.2 percent in 1993.
Mental Health (MH) Treatment Spending
■ One of the fastest growing components of MH spending was drugs prescribed to treat mental disorders. MH prescription drug expenditures grew by 18.8 percent annually between 1993 and 2003 and were responsible for 42 percent of the increase in MH spending between 1993 and 2003.