WESTWOOD—There are almost two million adults, approximately eight percent of the state population within the state of California that are in need of mental health treatment but a vast majority are receiving either poor services or none at all. There is a state law that requires all health insurance providers includes mental health treatment in their coverage options, according to a report by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

Photo courtesy of eHealth Forum.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), California has cut $764.8 million-21.2 percent of funding from mental healthcare between fiscal years (FY) of 2009-to 2012. California is the seventh state that has made these cuts since 2009. For 2012, California will cut over $177 million or 5.9 percent in mental healthcare from the previous four year budget.

In the report "Adult Mental Health Needs In California," research between the years 2007-2011 has found that one in 12 people residing in the state of California has reported symptoms that coincide with serious psychological distress and experienced difficulty performing at work or in the home.

Almost more than half of these adults have reported that they receive little to no treatment for their disorders. Twenty-five percent of people who do receive treatment only visit a health professional four times out of a 12 month period or may use prescription drugs to control their mental health needs.

Amongst the groups suffering from inadequate mental health treatment are the uninsured adults with the most unmet needs of 87 percent. Meanwhile, 65 percent of the publicly insured individuals receive no treatment versus 77 percent of privately insured adults.

Single parents with children double the rate of mental health concern as compared to adults without children. Groups also in dire need of mental health treatment are LGBT and ethnic groups American Indians and Alaskan Natives.

Reportedly, adults living with mental health needs suffer from high rates of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and asthma. According to the same mental health treatment study, the City of Los Angeles had the highest rate of untreated adults with 57 percent and 68.4 percent are uninsured.

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