Availability of Affordable Treatment

Outreach toward people at risk for suicide who are not receiving appropriate treatment is one of the prevention strategies recommended by former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher as part of his proposed national strategy for suicide prevention. Empirical evidence from other parts of the world confirms that access to services can help reduce suicide. Regions with higher rates of inpatient and outpatient treatment for depression, in particular, have been found to have fewer suicide rates.

According to a survey of individuals who said they were suicidal, cost of treatment was a concern for a high proportion of respondents. Among people who have considered suicide, 62% stated that expense was a factor in their not seeking help. Youth at risk for suicide generally cannot control whether they can afford treatment, and so they are forced to rely on their parents’ decision regarding whether or not treatment is affordable.

Along the same lines, a survey of stakeholders in counties throughout one state has revealed that the major barrier to the expansion of suicide prevention programs is lack of funding. Eighty-five percent of community stakeholders and 74% of school district representatives identified lack of funding as the major barrier to suicide prevention program expansion.

Many Americans in need of treatment have limited or no insurance coverage for mental health services. As reported by the U.S. Surgeon General, insurance coverage for mental health is extremely variable across different types of plans and sponsors, with “most plans offering less than adequate coverage.”

Patients without adequate mental health insurance coverage frequently fail to obtain needed services. Providing appropriate treatment for mental illness can be costly. One study has shown that it costs roughly $2,430 a year to treat patients who suffer from serious mental illness. According to one agency's research,  state funds are not sufficient to cover these costs. Furthermore, this agency also observes that the public system must absorb some of this cost, as individuals are referred to those few mental health agencies that provide services on a pro bono (or sliding scale) basis to individuals who cannot afford to pay for them. However, because of a lack of public funding, these clients are placed on long waiting lists to begin routine care at most community health clinics.