Rising mental health costs: what are we getting for our money?

This synthesis of recent epidemiological and service use data concludes that, in aggregate, rising mental health spending since the early 1990s appear to be purchasing improvements in access to care and to represent a good value for society. However, there is also evidence of continuing waste and quality deficits. Although mental health faces some unique challenges, these patterns are more similar to than different from those seen in all of health care. These parallels suggest the importance of learning from and working with the broader health care system in improving the returns on U.S. mental health spending.