Health Effects of Local and Geographic Access to Mental Health Treatment Facilities

• In Event: Organizational Dynamics in the U.S. Healthcare System: Incentives, Structures, and Access

Abstract

While increasing access to mental healthcare has been a policy priority, whether geographic and local proximity to specialized mental health services affects mortality remains unclear. I investigate this question by analyzing variations in mental health treatment facility availability across U.S. counties from 1999-2016. Using County Business Patterns data and a difference-in-differences framework, I find that each additional facility reduces mortality from mental and behavioral disorders (MBD) by 0.079%, representing a 0.25% decline relative to the pre-treatment mean. The estimates indicate that a 10% increase in facilities lowers a county's MBD rate by 2%. Event study estimates reveal substantial mortality reductions of 1.3-1.8 deaths per 100,000 residents following facility openings, with no evidence of pre-trends. Effects are larger for organic mental disorders and most pronounced among elderly populations and individuals with lower education levels. Results remain consistent after accounting for general healthcare infrastructure and show no impact on unrelated causes of death, underscoring the distinct role of local mental health services in preventing MBD mortality.

Author

• Olanrewaju Yusuff, Georgia State University
  Presenting Author