Psychiatric News (5/2) reported a study found that “between 2018 and 2021, the proportion of adults receiving outpatient mental health care that was solely psychotherapy rose, while the proportion of those taking only psychotropic medications declined.” Researchers observed that “the percentage of patients who received psychotherapy without medications rose significantly from 11.5% in 2018 to 15.4% in 2021. The percentage of patients who received medications without psychotherapy dropped significantly from 67.6% in 2018 to 62.1% in 2021. The percentage of patients who received both medications and psychotherapy remained relatively stable (20.8% in 2018 and 22.5% in 2021).” They noted that the “largest single-year increase in the use of psychotherapy occurred between 2018 and 2019, so factors unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of telemedicine contributed to this trend.” The study was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “More Patients Receiving Psychotherapy Without Medication, Study Finds,” Psychiatric News, May 2, 2025