Health Discoveries in General Health News
Drug therapy outpaces psychotherapy in mental health care
September 29, 2010
Compared to a decade ago, more Americans are treated for psychiatric conditions with drugs alone, rather than psychotherapy, which is on the decline, according to the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Data from two government health surveys in 1998 and 2007 showed the number of Americans who had psychotherapy sessions remained the same at 3 percent. But those in outpatient mental health care who were treated with drugs rose from 44 percent to 57 percent over the same period.
Cases that involved both drug treatment and psychotherapy declined from 40 percent to 32 percent, and the use of psychotherapy alone went down from 16 percent to 10 percent, the journal reported.
Spending on mental health treatments also reflected the shift. National spending on psychotherapy went from about $11 billion in 1998 to $7 billion in 2007, while overall spending on mental health care was relatively unchanged. In 1998, overall spending on psychiatric care was $15.4 billion, compared to $16 million in 2007, which also suggested a shift to drug therapy.
U.S. News and World Report ranks the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York, among the nation's top 20 psychiatric hospitals. The hospital is part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.
Data from two government health surveys in 1998 and 2007 showed the number of Americans who had psychotherapy sessions remained the same at 3 percent. But those in outpatient mental health care who were treated with drugs rose from 44 percent to 57 percent over the same period.
Cases that involved both drug treatment and psychotherapy declined from 40 percent to 32 percent, and the use of psychotherapy alone went down from 16 percent to 10 percent, the journal reported.
Spending on mental health treatments also reflected the shift. National spending on psychotherapy went from about $11 billion in 1998 to $7 billion in 2007, while overall spending on mental health care was relatively unchanged. In 1998, overall spending on psychiatric care was $15.4 billion, compared to $16 million in 2007, which also suggested a shift to drug therapy.
U.S. News and World Report ranks the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York, among the nation's top 20 psychiatric hospitals. The hospital is part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.