Drugs the dominant form of mental treatment in US...

[Guest guest]

http://story.news./news?tmpl=story & cid=97 & ncid=1422 & e=4 & u=/hsn/20040508\

/hl_hsn/pollmentalhealthcaregoesmainstream

Poll: Mental Health Care Goes Mainstream

Fri May 7,11:47 PM ET

By Pallarito

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 5 (HealthDayNews) -- An estimated 59 million people, or more

than one in four U.S. adults, have received some form of mental health

treatment in the past two years, a new poll finds.

It's a surprisingly large number, a sign, perhaps, that seeking help for a

personal, emotional or mental health problem no longer carries quite the

stigma it once did, according to the survey's sponsors.

The vast majority of these people -- an estimated 48 million -- are being

treated with prescription medication. Drugs are clearly the dominant form of

mental health treatment in America, the survey found.

" I think the improvements in medication are clearly a reason why a lot more

people are getting help, " said Jo Colman, publisher of Psychology Today

magazine, one of the survey's sponsors. " It's really good that it brought

people out to confront the issues that they're facing. "

" It suggests to me that mainstream America has embraced mental health

treatment, " added Dr. Jerry Vaccaro, president and chief executive officer

of PacifCare Behavioral Health, a co-sponsor of the survey.

But not everyone who needs care is getting help. More than a third of those

who experienced sufficient distress to warrant care have not received it,

the poll found. That's an estimated 24 million people, or nearly one in 10

U.S. adults.

Among the top reasons for not getting treatment are cost and doubt about its

effectiveness. Thirty-nine percent said it's too expensive. Thirty-two

percent said they didn't think it would help. In addition, 35 percent felt

their troubles were not serious enough to warrant professional attention.

What's more, 43 percent believe the costs usually outweigh the benefits of

therapy. Only 11 percent said the benefits outweigh the costs.

Sperling, director of federal legislative advocacy for the National

Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), said many people who are not getting

care face barriers to mental health coverage. Due to a persistent lack of

parity with medical benefits, people with mental health problems often

encounter treatment limits or higher cost sharing, he said.

To remove those obstacles, NAMI is urging Congress to pass mental health

parity legislation sponsored by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), whose daughter

suffers from mental illness.

The poll, conducted by market research giant Interactive, is said to

be the first of its kind to measure how consumers think and behave when it

comes to mental health treatment. The findings are based on a nationwide

telephone survey of 501 adults and an online survey of 1,731 adults who

needed or received mental health treatment within the previous two years.

Pollsters defined therapy broadly to include regular, one-on-one or group

visits with a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or marriage and

family therapist.

" The reason we went into this initially was because there simply isn't the

data out there, " Colman explained.

The survey included a unique tool for assessing consumers' distress levels

and need for therapy, yielding the kind of benchmark data that Vaccaro

thinks is sorely lacking in the mental health field.

" Imagine your internist saying, 'I just have the feeling that your blood

sugar is a little high. I'm going to put you on insulin,' " he quipped.

The poll results point to areas where mental health providers need to

improve care. For example, it shows a clear bias toward medication, even

though talk therapy has been shown to be as effective alone or with

medication for many patients.

Eighty-one percent of those with a treatment history have taken a

prescription. Nearly half have used medication alone. By contrast, 53

percent have used psychotherapy, and 19 percent have used psychotherapy

alone.

And while the shame of mental health treatment may have lessened, it hasn't

disappeared entirely. More than one in five people who need therapy but

haven't gotten it say it's because they fear it would go on their record.

Almost one in five are afraid a friend or family member would find out.

Men are twice as likely as women to claim they don't want to be associated

with the types of people who need therapy and to say that they don't trust

therapists, the poll found.

All of that suggests that more needs to be done to spread the word about the

effectiveness of treatment and teach clinicians and consumers about the

value of talk therapy as well as medication, the sponsors concluded.

PacifiCare Behavioral Health, for example, is looking to extend its suite of

" teleweb " services to give consumers the option to receive counseling via

their telephone or their computer for a broader range of problems.

Such services may improve outreach to single parents who claim the cost of

care and the difficulty of getting appointments at convenient times are

barriers to seeking treatment.

Another potential obstacle is a lack of good information for choosing a

therapist. In the survey, people ranked a therapist's listening skills and

personality among the most important factors in making therapy successful.

Yet the choice of a therapist is often based on a doctor's recommendation,

their health plan's network of providers, or the therapist's location.

" The survey shows a clear disconnect between the ways people are finding a

therapist and the factors that they should bring into their search, "

observed Colman, whose magazine offers a free online therapist directory.

If it's not you who needs help, maybe a family member of friend could use

the name of a good therapist. These days, many Americans know someone who

has been in treatment, or they believe their closest associates and kin

could benefit, the poll found.

In fact, 40 percent of adults say their parents would have benefited from

therapy.

A case of the pot calling the kettle black? " Make of it what you will, " said

Colman, who noted a serious side to that statistic. " A lot of people think

they grew up in dysfunctional families. "

[Guest guest]

http://story.news./news?tmpl=story & cid=97 & ncid=1422 & e=4 & u=/hsn/20040508\

/hl_hsn/pollmentalhealthcaregoesmainstream

Poll: Mental Health Care Goes Mainstream

Fri May 7,11:47 PM ET

By Pallarito

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 5 (HealthDayNews) -- An estimated 59 million people, or more

than one in four U.S. adults, have received some form of mental health

treatment in the past two years, a new poll finds.

It's a surprisingly large number, a sign, perhaps, that seeking help for a

personal, emotional or mental health problem no longer carries quite the

stigma it once did, according to the survey's sponsors.

The vast majority of these people -- an estimated 48 million -- are being

treated with prescription medication. Drugs are clearly the dominant form of

mental health treatment in America, the survey found.

" I think the improvements in medication are clearly a reason why a lot more

people are getting help, " said Jo Colman, publisher of Psychology Today

magazine, one of the survey's sponsors. " It's really good that it brought

people out to confront the issues that they're facing. "

" It suggests to me that mainstream America has embraced mental health

treatment, " added Dr. Jerry Vaccaro, president and chief executive officer

of PacifCare Behavioral Health, a co-sponsor of the survey.

But not everyone who needs care is getting help. More than a third of those

who experienced sufficient distress to warrant care have not received it,

the poll found. That's an estimated 24 million people, or nearly one in 10

U.S. adults.

Among the top reasons for not getting treatment are cost and doubt about its

effectiveness. Thirty-nine percent said it's too expensive. Thirty-two

percent said they didn't think it would help. In addition, 35 percent felt

their troubles were not serious enough to warrant professional attention.

What's more, 43 percent believe the costs usually outweigh the benefits of

therapy. Only 11 percent said the benefits outweigh the costs.

Sperling, director of federal legislative advocacy for the National

Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), said many people who are not getting

care face barriers to mental health coverage. Due to a persistent lack of

parity with medical benefits, people with mental health problems often

encounter treatment limits or higher cost sharing, he said.

To remove those obstacles, NAMI is urging Congress to pass mental health

parity legislation sponsored by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), whose daughter

suffers from mental illness.

The poll, conducted by market research giant Interactive, is said to

be the first of its kind to measure how consumers think and behave when it

comes to mental health treatment. The findings are based on a nationwide

telephone survey of 501 adults and an online survey of 1,731 adults who

needed or received mental health treatment within the previous two years.

Pollsters defined therapy broadly to include regular, one-on-one or group

visits with a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or marriage and

family therapist.

" The reason we went into this initially was because there simply isn't the

data out there, " Colman explained.

The survey included a unique tool for assessing consumers' distress levels

and need for therapy, yielding the kind of benchmark data that Vaccaro

thinks is sorely lacking in the mental health field.

" Imagine your internist saying, 'I just have the feeling that your blood

sugar is a little high. I'm going to put you on insulin,' " he quipped.

The poll results point to areas where mental health providers need to

improve care. For example, it shows a clear bias toward medication, even

though talk therapy has been shown to be as effective alone or with

medication for many patients.

Eighty-one percent of those with a treatment history have taken a

prescription. Nearly half have used medication alone. By contrast, 53

percent have used psychotherapy, and 19 percent have used psychotherapy

alone.

And while the shame of mental health treatment may have lessened, it hasn't

disappeared entirely. More than one in five people who need therapy but

haven't gotten it say it's because they fear it would go on their record.

Almost one in five are afraid a friend or family member would find out.

Men are twice as likely as women to claim they don't want to be associated

with the types of people who need therapy and to say that they don't trust

therapists, the poll found.

All of that suggests that more needs to be done to spread the word about the

effectiveness of treatment and teach clinicians and consumers about the

value of talk therapy as well as medication, the sponsors concluded.

PacifiCare Behavioral Health, for example, is looking to extend its suite of

" teleweb " services to give consumers the option to receive counseling via

their telephone or their computer for a broader range of problems.

Such services may improve outreach to single parents who claim the cost of

care and the difficulty of getting appointments at convenient times are

barriers to seeking treatment.

Another potential obstacle is a lack of good information for choosing a

therapist. In the survey, people ranked a therapist's listening skills and

personality among the most important factors in making therapy successful.

Yet the choice of a therapist is often based on a doctor's recommendation,

their health plan's network of providers, or the therapist's location.

" The survey shows a clear disconnect between the ways people are finding a

therapist and the factors that they should bring into their search, "

observed Colman, whose magazine offers a free online therapist directory.

If it's not you who needs help, maybe a family member of friend could use

the name of a good therapist. These days, many Americans know someone who

has been in treatment, or they believe their closest associates and kin

could benefit, the poll found.

In fact, 40 percent of adults say their parents would have benefited from

therapy.

A case of the pot calling the kettle black? " Make of it what you will, " said

Colman, who noted a serious side to that statistic. " A lot of people think

they grew up in dysfunctional families. "

[Guest guest]

http://story.news./news?tmpl=story & cid=97 & ncid=1422 & e=4 & u=/hsn/20040508\

/hl_hsn/pollmentalhealthcaregoesmainstream

Poll: Mental Health Care Goes Mainstream

Fri May 7,11:47 PM ET

By Pallarito

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 5 (HealthDayNews) -- An estimated 59 million people, or more

than one in four U.S. adults, have received some form of mental health

treatment in the past two years, a new poll finds.

It's a surprisingly large number, a sign, perhaps, that seeking help for a

personal, emotional or mental health problem no longer carries quite the

stigma it once did, according to the survey's sponsors.

The vast majority of these people -- an estimated 48 million -- are being

treated with prescription medication. Drugs are clearly the dominant form of

mental health treatment in America, the survey found.

" I think the improvements in medication are clearly a reason why a lot more

people are getting help, " said Jo Colman, publisher of Psychology Today

magazine, one of the survey's sponsors. " It's really good that it brought

people out to confront the issues that they're facing. "

" It suggests to me that mainstream America has embraced mental health

treatment, " added Dr. Jerry Vaccaro, president and chief executive officer

of PacifCare Behavioral Health, a co-sponsor of the survey.

But not everyone who needs care is getting help. More than a third of those

who experienced sufficient distress to warrant care have not received it,

the poll found. That's an estimated 24 million people, or nearly one in 10

U.S. adults.

Among the top reasons for not getting treatment are cost and doubt about its

effectiveness. Thirty-nine percent said it's too expensive. Thirty-two

percent said they didn't think it would help. In addition, 35 percent felt

their troubles were not serious enough to warrant professional attention.

What's more, 43 percent believe the costs usually outweigh the benefits of

therapy. Only 11 percent said the benefits outweigh the costs.

Sperling, director of federal legislative advocacy for the National

Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), said many people who are not getting

care face barriers to mental health coverage. Due to a persistent lack of

parity with medical benefits, people with mental health problems often

encounter treatment limits or higher cost sharing, he said.

To remove those obstacles, NAMI is urging Congress to pass mental health

parity legislation sponsored by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), whose daughter

suffers from mental illness.

The poll, conducted by market research giant Interactive, is said to

be the first of its kind to measure how consumers think and behave when it

comes to mental health treatment. The findings are based on a nationwide

telephone survey of 501 adults and an online survey of 1,731 adults who

needed or received mental health treatment within the previous two years.

Pollsters defined therapy broadly to include regular, one-on-one or group

visits with a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or marriage and

family therapist.

" The reason we went into this initially was because there simply isn't the

data out there, " Colman explained.

The survey included a unique tool for assessing consumers' distress levels

and need for therapy, yielding the kind of benchmark data that Vaccaro

thinks is sorely lacking in the mental health field.

" Imagine your internist saying, 'I just have the feeling that your blood

sugar is a little high. I'm going to put you on insulin,' " he quipped.

The poll results point to areas where mental health providers need to

improve care. For example, it shows a clear bias toward medication, even

though talk therapy has been shown to be as effective alone or with

medication for many patients.

Eighty-one percent of those with a treatment history have taken a

prescription. Nearly half have used medication alone. By contrast, 53

percent have used psychotherapy, and 19 percent have used psychotherapy

alone.

And while the shame of mental health treatment may have lessened, it hasn't

disappeared entirely. More than one in five people who need therapy but

haven't gotten it say it's because they fear it would go on their record.

Almost one in five are afraid a friend or family member would find out.

Men are twice as likely as women to claim they don't want to be associated

with the types of people who need therapy and to say that they don't trust

therapists, the poll found.

All of that suggests that more needs to be done to spread the word about the

effectiveness of treatment and teach clinicians and consumers about the

value of talk therapy as well as medication, the sponsors concluded.

PacifiCare Behavioral Health, for example, is looking to extend its suite of

" teleweb " services to give consumers the option to receive counseling via

their telephone or their computer for a broader range of problems.

Such services may improve outreach to single parents who claim the cost of

care and the difficulty of getting appointments at convenient times are

barriers to seeking treatment.

Another potential obstacle is a lack of good information for choosing a

therapist. In the survey, people ranked a therapist's listening skills and

personality among the most important factors in making therapy successful.

Yet the choice of a therapist is often based on a doctor's recommendation,

their health plan's network of providers, or the therapist's location.

" The survey shows a clear disconnect between the ways people are finding a

therapist and the factors that they should bring into their search, "

observed Colman, whose magazine offers a free online therapist directory.

If it's not you who needs help, maybe a family member of friend could use

the name of a good therapist. These days, many Americans know someone who

has been in treatment, or they believe their closest associates and kin

could benefit, the poll found.

In fact, 40 percent of adults say their parents would have benefited from

therapy.

A case of the pot calling the kettle black? " Make of it what you will, " said

Colman, who noted a serious side to that statistic. " A lot of people think

they grew up in dysfunctional families. "

[Guest guest]

http://story.news./news?tmpl=story & cid=97 & ncid=1422 & e=4 & u=/hsn/20040508\

/hl_hsn/pollmentalhealthcaregoesmainstream

Poll: Mental Health Care Goes Mainstream

Fri May 7,11:47 PM ET

By Pallarito

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 5 (HealthDayNews) -- An estimated 59 million people, or more

than one in four U.S. adults, have received some form of mental health

treatment in the past two years, a new poll finds.

It's a surprisingly large number, a sign, perhaps, that seeking help for a

personal, emotional or mental health problem no longer carries quite the

stigma it once did, according to the survey's sponsors.

The vast majority of these people -- an estimated 48 million -- are being

treated with prescription medication. Drugs are clearly the dominant form of

mental health treatment in America, the survey found.

" I think the improvements in medication are clearly a reason why a lot more

people are getting help, " said Jo Colman, publisher of Psychology Today

magazine, one of the survey's sponsors. " It's really good that it brought

people out to confront the issues that they're facing. "

" It suggests to me that mainstream America has embraced mental health

treatment, " added Dr. Jerry Vaccaro, president and chief executive officer

of PacifCare Behavioral Health, a co-sponsor of the survey.

But not everyone who needs care is getting help. More than a third of those

who experienced sufficient distress to warrant care have not received it,

the poll found. That's an estimated 24 million people, or nearly one in 10

U.S. adults.

Among the top reasons for not getting treatment are cost and doubt about its

effectiveness. Thirty-nine percent said it's too expensive. Thirty-two

percent said they didn't think it would help. In addition, 35 percent felt

their troubles were not serious enough to warrant professional attention.

What's more, 43 percent believe the costs usually outweigh the benefits of

therapy. Only 11 percent said the benefits outweigh the costs.

Sperling, director of federal legislative advocacy for the National

Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), said many people who are not getting

care face barriers to mental health coverage. Due to a persistent lack of

parity with medical benefits, people with mental health problems often

encounter treatment limits or higher cost sharing, he said.

To remove those obstacles, NAMI is urging Congress to pass mental health

parity legislation sponsored by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), whose daughter

suffers from mental illness.

The poll, conducted by market research giant Interactive, is said to

be the first of its kind to measure how consumers think and behave when it

comes to mental health treatment. The findings are based on a nationwide

telephone survey of 501 adults and an online survey of 1,731 adults who

needed or received mental health treatment within the previous two years.

Pollsters defined therapy broadly to include regular, one-on-one or group

visits with a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or marriage and

family therapist.

" The reason we went into this initially was because there simply isn't the

data out there, " Colman explained.

The survey included a unique tool for assessing consumers' distress levels

and need for therapy, yielding the kind of benchmark data that Vaccaro

thinks is sorely lacking in the mental health field.

" Imagine your internist saying, 'I just have the feeling that your blood

sugar is a little high. I'm going to put you on insulin,' " he quipped.

The poll results point to areas where mental health providers need to

improve care. For example, it shows a clear bias toward medication, even

though talk therapy has been shown to be as effective alone or with

medication for many patients.

Eighty-one percent of those with a treatment history have taken a

prescription. Nearly half have used medication alone. By contrast, 53

percent have used psychotherapy, and 19 percent have used psychotherapy

alone.

And while the shame of mental health treatment may have lessened, it hasn't

disappeared entirely. More than one in five people who need therapy but

haven't gotten it say it's because they fear it would go on their record.

Almost one in five are afraid a friend or family member would find out.

Men are twice as likely as women to claim they don't want to be associated

with the types of people who need therapy and to say that they don't trust

therapists, the poll found.

All of that suggests that more needs to be done to spread the word about the

effectiveness of treatment and teach clinicians and consumers about the

value of talk therapy as well as medication, the sponsors concluded.

PacifiCare Behavioral Health, for example, is looking to extend its suite of

" teleweb " services to give consumers the option to receive counseling via

their telephone or their computer for a broader range of problems.

Such services may improve outreach to single parents who claim the cost of

care and the difficulty of getting appointments at convenient times are

barriers to seeking treatment.

Another potential obstacle is a lack of good information for choosing a

therapist. In the survey, people ranked a therapist's listening skills and

personality among the most important factors in making therapy successful.

Yet the choice of a therapist is often based on a doctor's recommendation,

their health plan's network of providers, or the therapist's location.

" The survey shows a clear disconnect between the ways people are finding a

therapist and the factors that they should bring into their search, "

observed Colman, whose magazine offers a free online therapist directory.

If it's not you who needs help, maybe a family member of friend could use

the name of a good therapist. These days, many Americans know someone who

has been in treatment, or they believe their closest associates and kin

could benefit, the poll found.

In fact, 40 percent of adults say their parents would have benefited from

therapy.

A case of the pot calling the kettle black? " Make of it what you will, " said

Colman, who noted a serious side to that statistic. " A lot of people think

they grew up in dysfunctional families. "