OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federally funded report says Oklahoma is among the lowest of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in funding for mental health issues.
The report funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says Oklahoma spends $56.22 per capita on mental health — less than every state and D.C. except Kentucky, Idaho, Florida, Arkansas and Georgia.
State mental health commissioner Terri White told The Oklahoman that treatment is often provided only to low-income residents who are in crisis — people considered an imminent danger to themselves or others.
The report also found that 5 percent of adults in Oklahoma have a serious mental illness such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Only West Virginia has a higher rate.