Addressing Depression and Anxiety’s Growing Grip on America

Depression and anxiety are now commonplace in our society—and they affect more people each day. What do we do about the burgeoning mental health crisis? Get people suffering from mental illness the help they need. Mental Health Technologies has screened hundreds of thousands of Americans for behavioral health disorders. What we’ve found is that overwhelmingly, people want help. 

When patients are struggling with a mental health or substance use issue and are offered treatment—like meeting with a mental health professional—they say “yes” more than 60% of the time. Our tests are conducted by healthcare clinics across the country, everywhere from inner-city psych clinics to family wellness centers and primary care providers.

Here’s what we’ve found:

  • 36% of patients tested for depression indicate mild-to-severe cases

  • 39% of patients tested for anxiety indicate moderate-to-severe cases

  • More than 20,000 of screened patients indicate some level of suicidal ideation

 When self harm is indicated, we’re able to refer a patient to help and notify their provider immediately. But when warranted for any mental illness, we automatically present patients with appropriate treatment options based on their results. Here’s a couple ways MHT’s cloud platform enables clinicians to provide more effective, and efficient, care:

  • A provider will receive alerts for high tested scores or suicidal tendencies, as well as be notified of completed assessments 

  • Tests can be conducted either at home via mobile phone or computer, or through kiosks in-office so patients can take their assessments ahead of their appointment.

 You’re a healthcare provider, run a behavioral health clinic, or work in a field where mental health issues are pervasive (i.e. senior living facilities). Why beef up your mental health capabilities now? Because the problem is only growing in scale and scope.  

 The percentage of U.S. adults reporting a depression diagnosis at some point in their lifetime has reached 29%, according to a recent Gallup poll. That’s nearly 10 percentage points higher than in 2015 and more than six points higher than before Covid-19 pandemic. We’re on an unsustainable upward trajectory to a worrying majority of our population suffering from depression.

 Tens of millions of Americans suffer from anxiety each year as well. And the person struggling with mental illness isn't the only person who is affected: Nearly 40% of global adults either endure significant depression or anxiety themselves, or have a loved one who does.

We can help you:

  • Diagnosis and treat with more accuracy

  • Automate mental health referrals and billing

  • Track subsequent test results and patient progress

To learn more about how MHT assessments work, contact us today. We look forward to speaking with you.

Resources:

  1. https://news.gallup.com/poll/505745/depression-rates-reach-new-highs.aspx

  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22865617/

  3. https://news.gallup.com/poll/505745/depression-rates-reach-new-highs.aspx

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