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Individuals with Medical Debt Are Five Times More Likely to Miss Out on Mental Health Treatment
- A study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals the impact of medical debt on mental health care access.
- Research shows that individuals with medical debt are significantly more likely to forgo mental health treatment due to financial constraints.
- Statistical analysis indicates a 17.3 percentage point increase in the likelihood of avoiding mental health treatment among those with medical debt.
- The study found that the probability of forgoing care increased with the magnitude of medical debt, showing a dose-response relationship.
- Financial obstacles like medical debt contribute to the treatment gap in mental health care, affecting about 20 million Americans.
- The longitudinal study methodology strengthened the inference of a causal relationship between medical debt and forgoing mental health care.
- Lead author Dr. Kyle Moon emphasizes the urgent public health concern posed by cost-driven barriers to mental health treatment.
- The research suggests that policy reform and expanded coverage could reduce disparities in mental health access and improve outcomes.
- Future studies need to delve into granular data on debt types and repayment challenges to understand the full effects of medical debt on mental health care.
- This study underscores the critical need for sustained research and targeted policy interventions to address financial barriers in mental health care.
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