Despite 63% increase in mental health utilization, overdoses and suicides for men rise
A healthcare research firm that provides trend analysis to stakeholders released a new report that examined usage of behavioral health services post-COVID, showing that demand and utilization for mental healthcare and addiction mitigation have intensified since the pandemic.
According to the data from Trilliant Health, while the utilization of care related to emotional health, mental health, autism, and alcohol and drug dependency stand at new highs since the COVID lockdowns, outcomes may not be improving.
Using publicly available data on utilization, provider numbers and demand, Trilliant’s data paints a picture of a mental healthcare system that is overburdened. From 2018 to 2024, the group reports that the number of behavioral health visits jumped 62.6%, standing at 1,346 visits per 1,000 people.
People seeking care for anxiety led the trend, accounting for 89.3% of growth. Women aged 18-44 made up the majority of that cohort. However, Trilliant noted that childhood developmental disorders—autism, attention deficit disorder, speech problems and other issues including anxiety—including attempted self-harm, have risen nearly 48% over 20 years, from 2004-2024.
This includes drug and alcohol related deaths. Suicides, fatal drug overdoses, and alcohol-related deaths are disproportionately impacting adult men, who see higher rates than women. However, drug and alcohol-induced mortality among adult women has been steadily rising over the same 20-year period.
Similarly, while the number of incidents of suicide among adult women have risen slightly since 2004, the number of incidents among adolescents has risen dramatically, up almost 73%.
In total, drug- and alcohol-induced deaths have increased 176.1% across the population since 1999, Trilliant’s data report reveals. Across every adult male cohort, it’s more than doubled during that same timeframe.
Unmet demand a possible cause
Looking at causes of death, suicide and self-harm now rank tenth for people across the board, despite the rise in the utilization of behavioral and mental health services. One of the problems may be an overall provider shortage, especially outside urban city centers.
Trilliant said there are roughly 10,000 people per one psychiatrist in most areas of the country. Further, while some wealthy areas like San Francisco have a surplus of providers, other cities like Atlanta stand at a deficit.
To some degree, the data suggest that mental healthcare and addiction treatment are still a bit of a luxury.
“The data in this report tell a story that is impossible to dismiss,” Trilliant Health’s Chief Research Officer, Allison Oakes, PhD, said in a statement. “Behavioral health is not a peripheral concern, a niche service line or a problem on the horizon. It is America’s preeminent public health challenge, shaping utilization, mortality, the healthcare workforce and the financial performance of the health economy as well as the economy at large.”
The group noted that the lack of treatment carries a huge price in more than lives. Trilliant estimates that untreated mental illness will cost the American healthcare system an estimated $477.5 billion in 2024, with that number projected to rise to $1.3 trillion by 2040, unless something changes.
For more, read their full report by clicking here.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.