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Tackling America's mental health and addiction crisis through primary care integration
Tackling America's mental health and addiction crisis through primary care integration
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Contributor(s):
- Bipartisan Policy Center, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, DC : Bipartisan Policy Center, March 2021
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Delivery of Health Care, Integrated -- organization & administration
Mental Health Services -- organization & administration
Primary Health Care -- organization & administration
Substance-Related Disorders -- therapy
United States - Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the unmet need for mental health and substance use services in the United States was significant. Alarmingly, less than half of adults with mental health conditions received services in 2019, and the percentage was even lower in Black and Latino communities. As for substance use, nearly 90% of people with a substance use disorder did not receive treatment. That is why integrating primary and behavioral health care is necessary and would ensure that individuals with behavioral health conditions and comorbid physical health problems receive high-quality access to care. Comorbid behavioral and physical health diagnoses are common. Addressing them together through integration can provide a patient-centered approach that can be cost-effective for payers and providers, reduce health disparities, and improve patient outcomes. Yet, the barriers to integration are substantial. As the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated behavioral health issues in our nation, so has it highlighted the problems inherent in our health care delivery system that make it difficult to respond. To be sure, outcomes have worsened during the pandemic. Recent data indicate rising drug overdose deaths, worsening of existing mental health problems, and increasing incidence of anxiety and depression. Drug overdose deaths outpaced all previous records for a 12-month period, and symptoms of anxiety and/or depression in adults have quadrupled. A September 2020 study by Yale University School of Medicine found that those with a psychiatric diagnosis were at increased risk of death when they were hospitalized with COVID-19. Critical to meeting America's need for behavioral health services is increasing primary care provider capacity. Additional primary care providers would improve screening for mental health and substance use conditions, treatment delivery for mild to moderate behavioral health issues, and care coordination for patients who need more substantial services. While some primary care providers have already jumped in to do much of this work, many lack the training, financial resources, guidance, and staff to deliver integrated care. Recognizing the strong connection between physical and behavioral health, the Bipartisan Policy Center convened the Behavioral Health Integration Task Force in 2020, focused on breaking down barriers to integrating primary and behavioral health care. Research shows that integration enhances access to care, improves treatment outcomes, reduces health disparities, and is cost-effective.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (120 pages)) : illustrations
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918333187606676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918333187606676