Mental Health Treatments (2024)

Many people diagnosed with mental illness achieve strength and recovery through participating in individual or group treatment. There are many different treatment options available. There is no treatment that works for everyone – individuals can chose the treatment, or combination of treatments, that works best.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is the therapeutic treatment of mental illness provided by a trained mental health professional. Psychotherapy explores thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and seeks to improve an individual’s well-being. Psychotherapy paired with medication is the most effective way to promote recovery. Examples include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, etc.

Learn more about Psychotherapy

Medication

Medication does not outright cure mental illness. However, it may help with the management of symptoms. Medication paired with psychotherapy is the most effective way to promote recovery.

Learn more about Medications

Case Management

Case management coordinates services for an individual with the help of a case manager. A case manager can help assess, plan, and implement a number of strategies to facilitate recovery.

Hospitalization

In a minority of cases, hospitalization may be necessary so that an individual can be closely monitored, accurately diagnosed or have medications adjusted when his or her mental illness temporarily worsens.

Learn more about Hospitalization

Support Group

A support group is a group meeting where members guide each other towards the shared goal of recovery. Support groups are often comprised of nonprofessionals, but peers that have suffered from similar experiences.

Learn more about Support Group

Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Complementary & Alternative Medicine, or CAM, refers to treatment and practices that are not typically associated with standard care. CAM may be used in place of or addition to standard health practices.

Learn more about Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Self Help Plan

A self-help plan is a unique health plan where an individual addresses his or her condition by implementing strategies that promote wellness. Self-help plans may involve addressing wellness, recovery, triggers or warning signs.

Learn more about Self Help Plan

Peer Support

Peer Support refers to receiving help from individuals who have suffered from similar experiences.

Learn more about Peer Support

Other treatments include:

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Art Therapy

Mental Health Treatments (2024)

FAQs

How effective is mental health treatment? ›

The best treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective; between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have a significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.

Do mental health services actually help? ›

The use of evidence-based care to treat mental health problems has been shown to be associated with symptom reduction and reduced morbidity and mortality among patients.

When someone refuses mental health treatment? ›

When a person refuses mental health treatment, it is important to listen, express your concerns, and ask them how you can help. If a person shows signs of a mental health emergency, then you should take action right away by contacting 911 or your local crisis response team.

What was Hinckley's mental illness? ›

In Hinckley's trial, there was no question that he was a troubled young man. The defense argued that Hinckley should not be held accountable for the shootings because he was suffering from a major depressive disorder and from schizophrenia.

What is the success rate of mental therapy? ›

Even without adding medication for treatment, it has been found to be up to 75% effective in helping people cope with anxiety. Most people who suffer from anxiety can reduce or even eliminate their symptoms after a just few months of therapy.

Does mental therapy actually help? ›

Psychotherapy has been shown to improve emotional and psychological well-being and is linked with positive changes in the brain and body.

Why is mental health so bad right now? ›

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's advisory on youth mental health (2021) states, “The pandemic era's unfathomable number of deaths, pervasive sense of fear, economic instability, and forced physical distancing from loved ones, friends, and communities have exacerbated the unprecedented stresses young people already faced.

Why is it so hard to get mental health help? ›

People lack the same access to mental health providers as they have for other medical providers. And when they can find a mental health professional, many are forced to go out-of-network to do so. This leads to higher out-of-pocket costs for mental health care compared to other types of primary or specialty care.

Why is the mental health system broken? ›

The mental health system in America is broken because despite the fact that nearly 50 million Americans are currently living with a mental illness, and even though federal law requires that there be no greater restriction on obtaining coverage under your health plan for behavioral health conditions than it is to get ...

What is the hardest mental illness to live with? ›

Borderline personality disorder is one of the most painful mental illnesses since individuals struggling with this disorder are constantly trying to cope with volatile and overwhelming emotions.

How to tell if someone is mentally unstable? ›

Examples of signs and symptoms include:
  1. Feeling sad or down.
  2. Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate.
  3. Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt.
  4. Extreme mood changes of highs and lows.
  5. Withdrawal from friends and activities.
  6. Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping.
Dec 13, 2022

Why do many mental illness patients refuse treatment? ›

Anosognosia is a condition where someone is either unaware of their own serious mental illness or addiction, or they are unable to understand their condition accurately. For people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, for example, anosognosia is the main reason for them refusing to accept treatment.

What mental illnesses did Adolf have? ›

Hitler has often been associated with mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychopathy, both during his lifetime and after his death. Psychiatrists and psychoanalysts who have diagnosed Hitler as having mental disturbance include well-known figures such as Walter C. Langer and Erich Fromm.

Which king had mental illness? ›

This review is concerned with the nature of the recurrent mental ill health of King George III (1738–1820), reinvestigation of the widely accepted belief that he suffered from acute porphyria, how this unlikely diagnosis was obtained and, in particular, why it has gained so much unwarranted support.

What happened to the mentally ill in the 1930s? ›

In the 1930s, mental illness treatments were in their infancy and convulsions, comas and fever (induced by electroshock, camphor, insulin and malaria injections) were common. Other treatments included removing parts of the brain (lobotomies).

How effective are mental health interventions? ›

Three out of four digital training/education interventions showed small to medium improvements from baseline to post-intervention (d = 0.1–0.7 in 3 out of 4 outcomes) in non-specialists' competencies in delivering treatment and knowledge to promote mental health.

What is the success rate of treatment for depression? ›

You need to know that you're not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 19 million Americans are living with depression right now. And treatment works. The National Mental Health Association says that more than 80% of people who get treatment say it helps.

Are all mental health treatments equally effective? ›

Although the strength of evidence varies considerably across the treatment of anxiety and related disor- ders, in general, psychotherapy and medication appear to be equally effective.

How effective are mental health medications? ›

Psychiatric medications influence the brain chemicals that regulate emotions and thought patterns. They're usually more effective when combined with psychotherapy. In some cases, medicines can reduce symptoms so other methods of a treatment plan can be more effective.

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