Report Ranks California, Other States in Mental Health Care

In California and other states, there is a disparity between the rate of reported mental health issues and access to treatment, according to a report published Wednesday by Mental Health America, the Washington Post's "To Your Health" reports.

Details of Report

According to "To Your Health," the report is the first of its kind to rank mental health services state-by-state.

Rankings were based on 15 measures taken from a combination of surveys by the government and Mental Health America. All of the surveys were based on self-reported findings (Bernstein, "To Your Health," Washington Post, 12/4).

High rankings indicate a lower prevalence of mental health issues and higher rates of access to care (Mental Health America report, 12/3).

Findings

Across the U.S., 42.5 million U.S. residents -- or 18% of the population -- report having some type of mental health issues, including short-term conditions and long-term illnesses, according to the report ("To Your Health," Washington Post, 12/4).

California ranked 29th overall based on the prevalence of mental health issues and access to mental health care.

Meanwhile, the state ranked:

• 23rd for mental health care need; and
• 37th for mental health care access.

In addition, the report found that California:

• Ranked 13th in the number of adults with mental health issues, at about 4.9 million; and
• Ranked 13th for children reporting emotional and behavioral developmental issues, at more than 677,000.

There were about 253,000 children and 937,000 adults in California who needed mental health services but did not receive such treatment, according to the report (Mental Health America report, 12/3).