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National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Spotlight
December 08, 2015*
Combinations of types of mental health services received in the past year among young adults
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Combinations of types of mental health services received in the past year among young adults aged 18 to 25: NSDUH 2014

This pie chart shows combinations of types of mental health services received in the past year among persons aged 18 to 25 who received mental health services in the past year. From 2008 to 2013, 1.6 million young adults aged 18 to 25 (41.9%) received a prescription only; 1.1 million (28.2%) received both a prescription and outpatient services; 166,000 (4.3%) received a prescription, outpatient services, and inpatient services; and 987,000 (25.6%) received other combinations of services. If you would like someone from our staff to read the numbers on this graph or table image to you, please call 240-276-1250.

Without receipt of proper services, mental health problems can negatively affect all areas of a person's life.1 According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data, 11.9 percent of young adults aged 18 to 25 received mental health services in the past year. This represents an annual average of 4.1 million young adults—with 3.1 million young adults receiving prescription medication, 2.2 million receiving outpatient services, and 418,000 receiving inpatient services.2

Although 4.1 million young adults are receiving mental health services, some young adults receive only one type of service while others receive more than one type of service. Roughly 180,000 young adults aged 18 to 25 reported receiving all three types of mental health services in the past year (i.e., inpatient, outpatient, and prescription medication). About 1.1 million young adults who received mental health services in the past year reported that they received both prescription medication and outpatient services. Out of the 3.1 million young adults receiving prescription medication, 1.7 million reported receiving prescription medication with no other type of treatment. This means that roughly 2 out of 5 (42.3 percent) young adults who received mental health services in the past year are receiving prescription medication as their only mental health service.                                                                                           

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides resources for those seeking mental health care services. Information about where to find mental health treatment is available at https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

  1. Government Accountability Office. (2008). Young adults with serious mental illness: Some states and federal agencies are taking steps to address their transition challenges (GAO-08-678). Washington, DC: Author.
  2. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2015). Behavioral health trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. SMA 15-4927, NSDUH Series H-50). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Source: National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2014. The NSDUH is an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The survey collects data by administering questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through face-to-face interviews at their places of residence.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. The Data Spotlight may be copied without permission. Citation of the source is appreciated. Find this report and those on similar topics online at https://www.samhsa.gov/data/.