Pulling together some recent data for a market analysis, I was surprised at the different trajectory for treatment between mental illnesses and addictions. In the U.S. in 2022, 23.1% of the population had a mental illness of some type, and 50.6% of those people got treatment for that mental illness (see Mental Illness). But, of the 11.8% of the population with a substance use disorder (SUD), only 6.5% got treatment in 2024 (see NIDA IC Fact Sheet 2024).

The differences in the statistics certainly raise questions. Are these numbers due to the availability of the clinical workforce? Differences in reimbursement for treatment? Faulty data? My initial thought is that while the pandemic did a lot…