Mental Health and Substance Abuse Hospitalization Costs

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Mental Health and Substance Abuse Hospitalization Costs

Find hospitalization costs for mental health and substance abuse stays in Statistical Brief #249. A mental health or substance abuse hospital inpatient stay in 2016 had an estimated cost of $7,100. In 2022 dollars, that is about $8,300, due to 17% medical inflation. The charges would have been higher. Depression was the most common principal diagnosis, costing $5,300 (6 days stay) on average. Alcohol-related disorders cost about $8,800 (5 days stay), schizophrenia & related disorders cost $8,900 with nearly 11 days in hospital; bipolar cost $6,500, with 7.6 average length of stay, and opioid-related disorders cost $6,400 (4.2 days stay). Suicide ideation or attempt cost $7,900, with an average of 3.5 days in hospital. All costs must be inflated to approximate current prices. Schizophrenia was the most common type of mental and/or substance use disorder hospital stay for males ages 18 to 44, in 2016. Published by AHRQ, March 2019.

A more recent report (Statistical Brief # 257) shows average cost of an ER visit for mental health and substance abuse disorders was $520 in 2017. By adding medical inflation, the cost would be $593 in 2022 dollars. Charges would be higher. Published in 2020.

An older report Statistical Brief 202 (teenagers) gives information about teen hospitalizations for mental health and substance abuse problems in 2012. Average length of stay for mental health alone was 6.8 days for teens. Estimated true cost, in 2012 dollars, for a mental health stay was $9,100 (teens) (nearly $12,000 in 2022 dollars). Consumers may be surprised to learn that, after pregnancy and childbirth, the next most common reason for teens to be hospitalized was Mental Disorders.