The researchers' findings, based on their analysis of data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), are published in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

Treatment Delay Ranges from 6 to 23 Years

The vast majority of people with lifetime disorders eventually make treatment contact, the researchers found, particularly those with mood disorders. Delay in making treatment contact ranges from six to eight years for mood disorders and nine to 23 years for anxiety disorders.

"The findings reported here suggest that more effort is needed to increase prompt initial treatment contacts among people with incident episodes of mental disorders," the authors write.

"Additional large-scale public education programs and expanded use of National Screening Days continue to hold great promise for hastening detection and treatment," they suggest. "Interventions to speed initial treatment contact are likely to reduce the burdens and hazards of untreated mental disorder."

Outreach, Interventions, Initiatives

Of those who received treatment, 12.3 percent were treated by a psychiatrist, 16 percent by another mental health specialist, 22.8 percent by a general practitioner, 8.1 percent by a human services professional and 6.8 percent by a complementary or alternative medical provider.

More patients in specialty than general medical treatment received treatment that exceeded a minimal threshold of adequacy.

"Unmet need for treatment is greatest in traditionally underserved groups, including elderly persons, racial-ethnic minorities, those with low incomes, those without insurance, and residents of rural areas," the authors write.

"Three broad types of intervention are suggested by the results," they note.

"First, outreach efforts are needed to increase access to and initiation of treatments. Second, interventions are needed to improve the quality of care delivered to patients with mental disorders. Third, initiatives are needed to increase the uptake of successful programs and treatment models," the authors urge.

"Widespread failure to disseminate proved interventions may, in fact, explain why large unmet needs persist in the United States, despite earlier efforts to address this problem," they conclude.