LexisNexis® Risk Solutions, a leading provider of data and analytics, today released its latest healthcare data brief highlighting new insights on key mental health trends including the continued increase in claims for mental health care, shifts in telehealth and in-person utilization, and specific diagnoses that have surged between 2019 and 2023.
The brief analyzes de-identified medical claims and reveals mental health jumped another 11% from 2022 to 2023 and are now up 83% since before the pandemic (comparing 2019 to 2023).
The pandemic-driven surge in telehealth visits for mental health conditions reversed among children under 18, dropping 14% from 2022 to 2023, while the pace among adults slowed but continued to increase by 5% in the same timeframe. Meanwhile, in-office mental health visits have seen an uptick from 2022 through 2023 among all age groups, increasing the urgency to meet growing demand and combat the shortage of mental health providers.
The brief also presents new findings related to mental health diagnoses between 2019 and 2023:
- Surge in ADHD among adults: Claims for ADHD increased by 101% among 18-44-year-olds, 70% among 45-64-year-olds, and 60% among adults over 65 years.
- High volume of developmental disorders: Claims for developmental disorders increased by 77% among children under 18 years old.
- New diagnoses among children: Gender identity (133%), eating disorders (108%), and phobic disorders (77%) saw the biggest percentage increase in the number of patients under 18 years old.
“While the peak of the pandemic is behind us, we are just now starting to understand the extent to which the ripple effects have permanently impacted mental health nationally and globally,” said Adam Mariano, President and GM of Healthcare at LexisNexis Risk Solutions. “Mental health has been stigmatized for too long, which has exacerbated inequities and prevented the progression of effective, data-driven approaches to solving the crisis. Over the past few years, there has been remarkable progress in destigmatizing mental health. There is now an opportunity, with the right data and insights, whether in-person or remote, for stakeholders to track diagnosis and utilization trends in real-time, adapt to evolving needs, and meet patients where they are to provide optimal care.”
The findings underscore the importance of leveraging updated insights to understand community needs, identify socio-economic barriers to care, allocate resources, and ultimately develop data-driven strategies that can effectively address the mental health crisis.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions obtained the results by analyzing de-identified medical claims from LexisNexis® MarketView™ to uncover mental health and telehealth utilization trends before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.