U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (GAO) "Behavioral Health: Patient Access, Provider Claims Payment, and the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic"

Source: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-437r.pdf

Fast Facts

How has the need for and availability of services for mental health and substance use disorders changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Evidence suggests these conditions increased while access to care decreased.

• Centers for Disease Control surveys found about 38% of respondents reported symptoms of anxiety or depression from April 2020 through Feb. 2021—up from about 11% in 2019
• Emergency department visits for overdoses and suicide attempts from mid-March to mid-Oct. 2020 were up 36% and 26%, respectively, from 2019
• Many behavioral health service providers reported increasing demand and decreasing staff sizes