How Outpatient Services Can Impact Mental Health

As the number of individuals seeking healthcare services continues to climb, the lack of access to essential outpatient resources remains a particularly troublesome patient hurdle. In 2017, the National Institute of Mental Health conducted a national survey that found one in five adults in America live with a mental illness, representing nearly 20% of all U.S. adults.

Adults seeking treatment or preventative health services are often unable to access quality behavioral healthcare. Additionally, continued stigma surrounding mental health issues, combined with an inadequate workforce within the field and a disparity of community-based resources from county to county, make it difficult to pinpoint exactly where individuals fall through the cracks and become discouraged from seeking treatment.

Managed care organizations can play a role in reducing costs and improving care by significantly enhancing outpatient services and establishing new partnership models for more effective outpatient treatment.