Behavioral health utilization has jumped 62.6% since 2018, according to a new study. report from Trilliant Health. To solve this problem, the industry must increase the workforce and integrate behavioral and physical health, the researchers said.
The 2026 Behavioral Health Report was released Tuesday. It analyzed a national dataset of claims, provider data and public health sources. Its main findings include:
1. Use of behavioral health services increased to 1,346 visits per 1,000 people between 2018 and 2024. Anxiety disorders grew the fastest, increasing 89.3% during this period. The highest usage was among women aged 18 to 44.
2. Drug and alcohol-related deaths have increased by 176.1% since 1999, with mortality more than doubling in all adult male age groups and the largest increase (118.7%) among men aged 65 to 84. Intentional self-harm ranks as the tenth leading cause of death, with rates increasing 45.2% among adolescent males since 2004.
3. There has been growth in the prescribing of behavioral health products, largely driven by stimulants and antipsychotics. The increase in stimulants was mainly driven by women. Anxiolytics remain the most commonly prescribed class overall and have seen the fastest growth among men aged 18 to 44.
4. About two-thirds of behavioral health visits are done via telehealth. However, major workforce challenges remain, with the United States meeting only approximately 27.3% of its mental health workforce needs. It is predicted to face significant shortages by 2038, including approximately 36,780 fewer adult psychiatrists and 99,780 fewer mental health counselors than needed.
5. Untreated mental illness is estimated to have cost $477.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to exceed $1.3 trillion annually by 2040. At the same time, access to care remains unequal, with negotiated prices for individual and group psychotherapy varying as much as seven times.
“We see that demand for behavioral health has increased in the years since the pandemic, but unfortunately the number of providers, availability of services and access to affordable care simply have not kept pace with this growing need,” Allison Oakes, research director of Trilliant Health, said in an interview. “As a result, we find ourselves in a situation where many people are struggling with these different mental and behavioral health needs, but are not able to access affordable care or access care in a way that is convenient and easy for them.”
Oakes noted that to address this behavioral health crisis, additional efforts must be made to increase the workforce and combat burnout. She highlighted the increasingly central role of nurse practitioners, physician assistants and primary care physicians in this field, saying that together they now prescribe about two-thirds of all behavioral health medications.
“I think we need to figure out how to get more providers into the workforce. We need to figure out how to keep them in the workforce. 83% of mental health providers report burnout. So we need to figure out how to increase supply, how to maintain that supply, and then subsequently increase access for patients,” Oakes said.
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