14 DAY TRIAL // In a study that compared adults' mental health levels with ones recorded over the past few decades, scientists at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Bloomberg School of Public Health determined that the US population is currently exhibiting the highest levels of mental health disability in recent times.
Prior decades saw increases in disability levels as well, but none as steep as the last decade did. Researchers say that there is no single solution for all these cases, bur rather that they are caused by complex, subtle interplays between environmental, genetic and societal factors.
An interesting conclusion the study produced was that the incidence of disabilities related to other chronic conditions decreased significantly over the survey period. This decline may be attributed to medical and technological advancements.
On the other hand, the prevalence of significant mental distress remained largely unchanged, Bloomberg School expert Ramin Mojtabai, MD, PhD, explains. The research will be detailed in the upcoming, November issue of the esteemed American Journal of Public Health.
According to the study leader, the new discoveries have very important implications for public healthcare policies, as well as for the way the medical system is currently set up, PsychCentral reports.
“These findings highlight the need for improved access to mental health services in our communities and for better integration of these services with primary care delivery,” Mojtabai explains. At the same time, officials need to work towards making people understand that mental health problems are real.
“While the trend in self-reported mental health disability is clear, the causes of this trend are not well-understood,” the investigator goes on to say. He adds that a strong stigma against mental health patients still exists in the United States and elsewhere, even though there is no tangible reason for it.
The study covered time frames stretching from 1997 to 1999 and from 2007 to 2009, and analyzed data provided by the US National Health Interview (NHI). A total of 2 million American adults self-reported mental health disabilities over the past 10 years.
Mojtabai and his team also discovered that more people were denied mental health care for financial reasons between 2007 and 2009 than between 1997 and 1999 (3.2 percent from 2 percent, respectively).