The Biloxi Sun Herald reports that Mississippi ranked second in a national index measuring factors including insurance, provider availability and mental health spending.
Mississippi’s ranking
The Biloxi Sun Herald reports that Mississippi ranked second in the United States on a September mental health vulnerability index from Start Your Recovery. The newspaper said the ranking placed Mississippi behind Georgia and ahead of Texas, Indiana and Arizona.
According to the Biloxi Sun Herald, Start Your Recovery is an online resource for people dealing with substance use issues. Its researchers examined six categories to rank states: risk of depression, loneliness rates, unemployment, insurance coverage, provider availability and state-level mental health spending.
The Biloxi Sun Herald reported that Mississippi received a score of 92.23/11 on the mental health vulnerability index. The newspaper described the score as indicating that people in the state have a harder time accessing the mental health care they need.
Measures included in the index
The Biloxi Sun Herald listed Mississippi’s risk of depression measure as 30.1 people per 100,000. It also reported that 43.6% of adults in Mississippi said they feel lonely sometimes, usually or always.
The newspaper reported a 4.8% unemployment rate for Mississippi and said 10.3% of residents lack health insurance. Insurance coverage was one of the six measures used by Start Your Recovery in its state ranking.
For provider availability, the Biloxi Sun Herald reported 237 mental health providers per 100,000 Mississippi residents. The paper also listed state-level mental health spending at $92.43 per capita.
National context
The Biloxi Sun Herald said the United States is facing a mental health crisis. It cited the Centers for Disease Control as saying that one in five U.S. adults has been told by a health care professional that they have a depression disorder.
The newspaper’s list of the 10 most vulnerable states included Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Indiana, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Alaska, Nevada and Tennessee. Mississippi was the highest-ranked state in the list after Georgia.
What this means for Mississippi patients
The Biloxi Sun Herald’s report highlights access, coverage and provider availability as factors affecting mental health care in Mississippi. For people seeking treatment locally, the directory lists 21 published clinics in Mississippi.
This is general information, not medical advice.
More Mississippi reporting on access & coverage.
This report is educational and is not medical advice. Coverage, availability and eligibility can change; verify details with the named source or your care team.