A large study shows that 3.4% of the American population suffers from severe psychological distress, a number on the rise.
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders is increasing in the United States. According to a study conducted by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the proportion of American adults with severe psychological distress continues to grow, reaching 3.4% of the population, or more than 8.3 millions of people.
The works, published in the journal Psychiatric Services, are based on federal health services data. They bring together information on more than 30,000 households, or 200,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 64, from all states, socio-economic groups and cultural backgrounds.
No access to healthcare
Severe psychological distress is characterized by a feeling of sadness, self-deprecation and psychological exhaustion, suitable for achieving the well-being of the individual. Previous studies had estimated the rate of the American population with these disorders to be less than 3%.
The authors have also identified flaws in the management of mental pathologies by the American health services. The literature thus highlights the difficulties in accessing care for people with severe psychological distress, without fully explaining the origin of these gaps.
“This could be linked to shortages of professionals, the increase in costs related to care not reimbursed by insurance, the crisis … and other reasons that require more substantiated investigations,” write the researchers, NYU Langone Medical Center.
43,000 suicides
Scientists have observed that in 2014, nearly one in ten Americans suffering from severe psychological distress (9.5%) still had no medical coverage for psychiatric care or psychosocial support; 9.9% of patients say they cannot afford drugs to treat their disorder.
“According to our data, we estimate that millions of Americans have deteriorated emotional functioning, which leads to a poorer quality of life and life expectancy,” they continue. Our study could also explain why more than 43,000 people commit suicide each year in the United States ”.
In their next work, the team will attempt to assess the impact of the underdiagnosis of severe psychological distress on medical practices and on inappropriate use of the health system.
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