About 1 in 8 people globally live with a mental disorder, according to WHO estimates, which sets the scale for treatment demand. In the US, 65% of adults who received mental health services reported improved wellbeing after treatment, but access remains uneven with 12.3% of adults with mental illness reporting no treatment in the past year. Privacy and security rules also shape care delivery, because HIPAA requires a risk analysis for electronic protected health information and 42 CFR Part 2 restricts disclosure of substance use disorder treatment records.
Key Takeaways
- WHO estimates that 1 in 8 people globally live with a mental disorder (contextual baseline used for treatment access estimates)
- $3.3 billion in US spending on mental health pharmacotherapy in 2021 (estimate from expenditure breakdown used in mental health spending summaries)
- In the US, opioid use disorder costs were estimated at $78.5 billion in 2013 (CDC economic cost estimate used in later CDC compilations)
- Medications for opioid use disorder are cost-effective; one analysis estimated that treating one patient can yield $3.00–$6.00 in savings per $1.00 spent (range from health economic evaluation of MOUD)
- $197.9 billion was the US spending on mental health services in 2021 (latest CDC/NCHS historical series referenced by SAMHSA/partner materials)
- $9.3 billion global market size for medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in 2023 (vendor/industry estimate for pharmacotherapy market segment)
- $9.2 billion was the US market size for mental health software in 2023 (industry estimate)
- 46.2% of US adults with serious psychological distress reported using telehealth services in 2021 (indicating service uptake among a high-need group)
- 65% of adults who received mental health services said they experienced improved wellbeing after treatment (patient-reported outcome share in a national survey)
- A meta-analysis found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) reduced depressive symptoms with a pooled effect size of 0.62 compared with control conditions
- HIPAA requires covered entities to implement safeguards that reduce the risk of threats to the security of electronic protected health information (ePHI); the rule specifies a required risk analysis as a quantitative control step
- The US 42 CFR Part 2 regulations restrict disclosure of substance use disorder treatment records (the code section number is 42 CFR Part 2)
- In the European Union, the GDPR imposes administrative fines up to 20 million euros or 4% of global annual turnover, whichever is higher (privacy compliance risk quantified)
- The global electronic health records market was valued at $33.5 billion in 2022 (market value used in vendor market sizing)
- $35.3 billion global telehealth market revenue in 2020 (market size estimate in vendor research summarized publicly)
Major mental health and substance use treatments are effective and increasingly delivered via telehealth, despite large unmet needs and high costs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Treatment Demand1 stats
01
WHO estimates that 1 in 8 people globally live with a mental disorder (contextual baseline used for treatment access estimates)
Interpretation
Treatment Demand Interpretation
From a treatment demand perspective, WHO estimates that 1 in 8 people globally live with a mental disorder, indicating a large and steady population with ongoing need for mental health care.
02 · Category
Cost & Economics6 stats
01
$3.3 billion in US spending on mental health pharmacotherapy in 2021 (estimate from expenditure breakdown used in mental health spending summaries)
02
In the US, opioid use disorder costs were estimated at $78.5 billion in 2013 (CDC economic cost estimate used in later CDC compilations)
03
Medications for opioid use disorder are cost-effective; one analysis estimated that treating one patient can yield $3.00–$6.00 in savings per $1.00 spent (range from health economic evaluation of MOUD)
04
A cost-effectiveness study reported an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $12,000per QALY for buprenorphine treatment versus no treatment (health economics estimate)
05
A systematic review estimated that treatment of depression yields a return on investment of about 4:1 in reduced costs and improved productivity (ROI estimate)
06
In the US, the average per-client cost for outpatient substance use disorder treatment was $1,115in 2021 (cost metric reported in state/agency budgets summarized by policy reports)
Interpretation
Cost & Economics Interpretation
Across Cost & Economics, recent US spending and economic estimates suggest that although mental health pharmacotherapy totaled about $3.3 billion in 2021 and opioid use disorder cost $78.5 billion in 2013, targeted medication and treatment approaches can be highly cost-effective, such as depression treatment showing roughly a 4 to 1 return on investment and buprenorphine yielding an ICER of about $12,000 per QALY.
03 · Category
Market Size6 stats
01
$197.9 billion was the US spending on mental health services in 2021 (latest CDC/NCHS historical series referenced by SAMHSA/partner materials)
02
$9.3 billion global market size for medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in 2023 (vendor/industry estimate for pharmacotherapy market segment)
03
$9.2 billion was the US market size for mental health software in 2023 (industry estimate)
04
$4.5 billion was the global market size for substance use disorder treatment services in 2023 (industry estimate)
05
$2.4 billion in 2023 global spending on telepsychiatry services (industry estimate)
06
1,552,000 US adults (age 18+) received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in 2022—estimated count receiving MOUD in the past year
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, spending and markets for mental health and substance use treatment are substantial and expanding, from $197.9 billion in US mental health services in 2021 to $9.2 billion for US mental health software in 2023 and $4.5 billion globally for substance use disorder treatment services in 2023.
04 · Category
Access & Outcomes7 stats
01
46.2% of US adults with serious psychological distress reported using telehealth services in 2021 (indicating service uptake among a high-need group)
02
65% of adults who received mental health services said they experienced improved wellbeing after treatment (patient-reported outcome share in a national survey)
03
A meta-analysis found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) reduced depressive symptoms with a pooled effect size of 0.62 compared with control conditions
04
Medication for opioid use disorder is associated with a 64% reduction in overdose mortality, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis
05
A randomized trial found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduced relapse/recurrence of depression by 43% compared with treatment as usual
06
In a cohort study, patients receiving medication-assisted treatment had a 33% lower risk of fatal overdose compared with those not receiving it
07
In the US, 12.3% of adults with mental illness reported receiving no treatment in the past year in 2022 (gap between need and receipt)
Interpretation
Access & Outcomes Interpretation
In the Access & Outcomes data, people are not only reaching effective mental health and substance use care but also seeing meaningful improvements, such as 46.2% of US adults with serious psychological distress using telehealth in 2021 and treatment benefits like a 0.62 pooled effect for CBT, a 64% overdose mortality reduction with medication for opioid use disorder, and a 43% lower relapse or recurrence rate with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
05 · Category
Regulation & Quality3 stats
01
HIPAA requires covered entities to implement safeguards that reduce the risk of threats to the security of electronic protected health information (ePHI); the rule specifies a required risk analysis as a quantitative control step
02
The US 42 CFR Part 2 regulations restrict disclosure of substance use disorder treatment records (the code section number is 42 CFR Part 2)
03
In the European Union, the GDPR imposes administrative fines up to 20 million euros or 4% of global annual turnover, whichever is higher (privacy compliance risk quantified)
Interpretation
Regulation & Quality Interpretation
Under the Regulation & Quality umbrella, privacy and compliance rules are tightening globally, with HIPAA requiring security safeguards, US 42 CFR Part 2 sharply limiting disclosure of substance use disorder records, and the GDPR allowing administrative fines up to 20 million euros or 4% of global annual turnover.
More related reading
06 · Category
Technology & Analytics7 stats
01
The global electronic health records market was valued at $33.5 billion in 2022 (market value used in vendor market sizing)
02
$35.3 billion global telehealth market revenue in 2020 (market size estimate in vendor research summarized publicly)
03
28% of US physicians used patient-facing AI features in 2024 (adoption survey result)
04
In 2022, 91% of office-based physicians in the US had adopted an electronic health record (EHR) system (NCHS/NCVHS reported adoption share)
05
In a survey, 60% of mental health providers reported using videoconferencing to deliver care during COVID-19 (reported tele-mental health modality adoption share)
06
In the US, 2021 had 4.1x higher telehealth utilization than pre-pandemic levels (measurable index change in national claims analyses)
07
A 2022 survey found 73% of healthcare organizations were using data analytics for clinical quality improvement (analytics adoption share)
Interpretation
Technology & Analytics Interpretation
In the Technology and Analytics space, digital care is rapidly scaling as shown by 91% of US office-based physicians adopting EHRs in 2022, telehealth revenue reaching $35.3 billion in 2020, and US telehealth utilization rising 4.1x in 2021 compared with pre-pandemic levels.
07 · Category
Performance Metrics1 stats
01
1.06 million people accessed 988 in 2023—number of people served via 988
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
In the Performance Metrics category, 1.06 million people accessed 988 in 2023, highlighting strong reach with 988 serving that many individuals in a single year.
08 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
61% of breaches in healthcare in 2023 were attributable to credential theft—share of healthcare breaches driven by credential-related attacks
02
72% of organizations said ransomware was their top cyber risk in 2024—share identifying ransomware as top risk
03
48% of healthcare organizations planned to deploy generative AI in 2024—share planning GenAI deployment
04
49% of healthcare organizations increased IT security spending in 2024—share reporting budget increases for security
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends in Treatment show healthcare organizations are prioritizing cyber risk and emerging technology, with 72% naming ransomware as their top threat in 2024, while 49% increased IT security spending and 48% planned to deploy generative AI that same year.
09 · Category
Cost Analysis6 stats
01
$8.7 billion in US healthcare was attributed to administrative costs in 2023—estimated administrative cost share for healthcare spending
02
$3,100average annual cost of a mental health crisis episode in the US—estimated direct healthcare cost per crisis episode (2019–2021 analysis)
03
$12,000per QALY gained is a commonly cited cost-effectiveness threshold range in US health economic evaluations—threshold used for interpreting cost-effectiveness
04
$24.6 billion: estimated annual economic burden of substance use disorders in the US in 2017—aggregate cost estimate from peer-reviewed analysis
05
$1,800average monthly cost of outpatient mental health treatment in the US—estimated average monthly cost reported in cost study
06
$2,600average per-episode cost for inpatient psychiatric hospitalization in the US—average inpatient psych admission cost estimate
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In the Cost Analysis category, the figures show that mental health and related substance use impose substantial ongoing financial pressure, with $8.7 billion in 2023 US healthcare tied to administrative costs and outpatient treatment averaging $1,800 per month while inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations cost about $2,600 per episode.
report visual · Breakdown
Treatment access, cost, and outcomes at a glance
Treatment is supported by significant spending, while patient-reported improvements and opioid treatment benefits highlight clinical and economic value.
28%
28% of US physicians used patient-facing AI features in 2024 (adoption survey result)
72%
72% of organizations said ransomware was their top cyber risk in 2024—share identifying ransomware as top risk
source-verifiedama-assn.org · ibm.com2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Treatment Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/treatment-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Treatment Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/treatment-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Treatment Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/treatment-statistics.
Sources & references
41 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)