WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Faster increases in psychotherapy use are seen across several socioeconomically advantaged groups, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Mark Olfson, M.D., M.P.H., from Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues characterized recent trends and patterns in outpatient psychotherapy use by U.S. adults in a repeated cross-sectional study based on the 2018 to 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys. The analysis included 89,619 participants.

The researchers found that from 2018 to 2021, psychotherapy use increased significantly faster for women than men, younger than older adults, college graduates versus those without a high school diploma, privately insured versus publicly insured adults, those at two to four times the poverty level versus below the poverty level, employed versus unemployed adults, and urban versus rural residents. Teletherapy use in 2021 was significantly higher among younger versus middle-aged or older adults (18 to 34 years versus 35 to 64 years and 65 years and older; differences, −3.7 and −6.5 percentage points, respectively), women than men (difference, 1.9 percentage points), nonmarried versus married persons (difference, 2.9 percentage points), those who are college educated versus those without a high school diploma (difference, 4.9 percentage points), those with higher versus lower income (2.3 percentage points for 400 versus <100 percent of the federal poverty level), those with private versus public insurance (difference, −2.5 percentage points), and those of urban versus rural residence (difference, 2.7 percentage points) after controlling for distress level.

“Because a considerable proportion of adult outpatient psychotherapy is now delivered via the internet, addressing technical and financial barriers to connect underserved groups with teletherapy may help achieve equity in psychotherapy access,” the authors write.

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