New data shows there’s a significant unmet need when it comes to behavioral health care in our state.

In a study funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Access to Behavior Health Care in Michigan, researchers determined that 38 percent of people who experience a mental illness are not receiving treatment and 80 percent of residents who have a substance use disorder aren’t receiving treatment.

The Health Fund said the report was commissioned to “better understand the state of behavioral health access amid rising rates of behavioral health-related conditions in Michigan and across the country, especially among young adults.”

Data at a glance:

• Of the 9.9 million people in Michigan’s population, an estimated 1.76 million people experience a mental illness. Of those, more than 666,000 are not receiving care. 

• Of the 638,000 Michigan residents who are experiencing a substance use disorder only 20 percent are receiving treatment.

• Anxiety disorders and depressive episodes are the most common mental health conditions in Michigan and the most likely to go untreated.

• Medicaid recipients are the most likely to remain untreated for a mental health illness, more so than Medicare recipients or privately insured individuals.

• Native Americans in Michigan have the highest rates of substance use disorder followed by whites.

• There are 25 counties in Michigan which do not have a psychiatrist, and of those, 10 counties don’t have a psychologist either.

The report cites a shortage of providers, reluctance to care, costs and a lack of transportation as barriers to receiving behavioral health care. The report identifies six top recommendations to mitigate barriers to care, highlights include:

• Increase retention of behavioral health care providers in Michigan: Maintain and expand loan repayment programs rewarding commitments from practices in Michigan, especially those in underserved areas.

• Advance the use of telemedicine: Close gaps of broadband and technology in the state and support the use of telepsychiatry especially in underserved areas.

• Expand school-based behavioral health care: The report shares recent state funding of $31 million is seeking to address this need.

• Integrate primary care and behavioral health care delivery: Provide training for primary care providers and co-locate primary care and behavioral care.

The Health Fund shared some of its work that is already aligned with the needs identified in the study, including its role in the Michigan Opioid Partnership and other initiatives.

“Altarum’s study revealed just how far we have to go before every Michigan resident can access the care they need, but it also provided a road map for how to get there,” the Health Fund shared in part. “We’ll continue working with other funders, as well as the private sector and government, to support promising innovations, expand successful practices across the state, and provide a pathway to access for everyone who calls Michigan home.”

Want more?

Read the full report.