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When to Pursue Behavioral Health Treatment
Mental well-being is a key component of overall health. There may be a variety of reasons to seek out mental health treatments and programs for yourself or someone you care about:
- Counseling and therapy. Whether as a family, couple, group or one-on-one, counseling or therapy includes sessions with a licensed therapist to help talk through problems, practice coping strategies and develop healthy ways to handle difficult situations, events and feelings.
- Psychological evaluation and testing. Sometimes, a psychiatric evaluation such as a cognitive test, personality assessment or neuropsychological test may be needed to diagnose certain disorders or help medical staff determine the best steps for treatment.1
- Crisis services. During a mental health emergency, crisis services such as intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) can assist with immediate aid in a moment of need.
- Telepsychiatry and teletherapy. When in-person help is not easily available or accessible, virtual behavioral health treatments such as telepsychiatry or teletherapy can deliver the resources patients need without being bound by geography.
- Medications for behavioral health. In certain cases, behavioral health medications may be prescribed to help treat a range of conditions, from depression and anxiety to psychosis, ADHD, bipolar disorder and more.
- Mental health treatments. When previous treatments haven’t helped, other mental health treatments like ketamine infusions or transcranial magnetic stimulation may be considered.
Counseling and Therapy Treatment Costs
On average, one therapy session can range from $76 to $152.2 The total cost of a counseling or therapy treatment can vary based on the number of people in the session as well as how often you meet.* Below are the average costs per session depending on the type of therapy.2
| Type | Average cost per session |
|---|---|
| Couples therapy | $152 |
| Family therapy | $151 |
| Group therapy | $76 |
| Individual therapy | $136 |
Cost of individual therapy sessions by state/district
The cost of individual therapy can vary based on your geographic region. Here is the average cost* of a single session of individual therapy in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.2
| State/District | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $117 |
| Alaska | $165 |
| Arizona | $138 |
| Arkansas | $119 |
| California | $169 |
| Colorado | $137 |
| Connecticut | $141 |
| Delaware | $135 |
| District of Columbia | $187 |
| Florida | $136 |
| Georgia | $124 |
| Hawaii | $197 |
| Idaho | $138 |
| Illinois | $138 |
| Indiana | $123 |
| Iowa | $121 |
| Kansas | $117 |
| Kentucky | $124 |
| Louisiana | $125 |
| Maine | $139 |
| Maryland | $157 |
| Massachusetts | $160 |
| Michigan | $125 |
| Minnesota | $128 |
| Mississippi | $118 |
| Missouri | $120 |
| Montana | $131 |
| Nebraska | $123 |
| Nevada | $135 |
| New Hampshire | $143 |
| New Jersey | $146 |
| New Mexico | $124 |
| New York | $147 |
| North Carolina | $125 |
| North Dakota | $124 |
| Ohio | $125 |
| Oklahoma | $119 |
| Oregon | $145 |
| Pennsylvania | $131 |
| Rhode Island | $145 |
| South Carolina | $125 |
| South Dakota | $119 |
| Tennessee | $120 |
| Texas | $126 |
| Utah | $135 |
| Vermont | $141 |
| Virginia | $132 |
| Washington | $149 |
| West Virginia | $123 |
| Wisconsin | $126 |
| Wyoming | $127 |
Psychological Evaluation and Testing Costs
To help diagnose a behavioral health concern, psychological tests or evaluations may be recommended. These might include behavioral observations, clinical interviews, surveys or assessments, medical or family history reviews or labs like blood work.1 Here are the average costs* of various types of psychological evaluation and testing.2
| Psychological evaluation/testing type | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Cognitive and intelligence testing | $252 |
| Diagnostic assessments of mental health disorders | $201 |
| Neuropsychological tests | $2,922 |
| Personality assessments | $50 |
Crisis Services Costs
During periods of emotional or psychological distress, intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) — one of several crisis services available — provide structured support outside of a hospital setting. These mental health treatment programs are designed for those who do not require inpatient care but need more support than what outpatient therapy would typically provide. IOP costs range from $5,107 to $12,232, with an average cost* of $6,566.2
The urgency and severity of mental health crisis services play a big role in the overall cost and usually include multiple therapy sessions per week that may consist of individual counseling, group therapy and skill-building activities.
Intensive outpatient programs cost by state/district
Here is a breakdown of the average cost* of intensive outpatient programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.2
| State/District | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $5,611 |
| Alaska | $7,923 |
| Arizona | $6,515 |
| Arkansas | $5,773 |
| California | $8,409 |
| Colorado | $6,536 |
| Connecticut | $6,865 |
| Delaware | $6,529 |
| District of Columbia | $8,400 |
| Florida | $6,454 |
| Georgia | $5,976 |
| Hawaii | $10,880 |
| Idaho | $6,627 |
| Illinois | $6,389 |
| Indiana | $5,899 |
| Iowa | $5,892 |
| Kansas | $5,745 |
| Kentucky | $6,207 |
| Louisiana | $5,906 |
| Maine | $6,816 |
| Maryland | $7,377 |
| Massachusetts | $7,405 |
| Michigan | $5,948 |
| Minnesota | $6,095 |
| Mississippi | $5,506 |
| Missouri | $5,780 |
| Montana | $6,368 |
| Nebraska | $5,934 |
| Nevada | $6,501 |
| New Hampshire | $7,062 |
| New Jersey | $7,062 |
| New Mexico | $5,941 |
| New York | $7,272 |
| North Carolina | $5,962 |
| North Dakota | $5,990 |
| Ohio | $5,969 |
| Oklahoma | $5,590 |
| Oregon | $6,943 |
| Pennsylvania | $6,459 |
| Rhode Island | $6,697 |
| South Carolina | $6,039 |
| South Dakota | $5,843 |
| Tennessee | $5,871 |
| Texas | $6,078 |
| Utah | $6,711 |
| Vermont | $6,690 |
| Virginia | $6,354 |
| Washington | $7,608 |
| West Virginia | $5,801 |
| Wisconsin | $6,123 |
| Wyoming | $6,053 |
Telepsychiatry and Teletherapy Costs
When geography, mobility or timeliness don’t allow local treatments, online or virtual therapy sessions or psychiatric evaluations provide an alternative to consider. These are the average costs* of telepsychiatry and teletherapy by type.2
| Telepsychiatry and teletherapy types | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Online psychiatric evaluations | $227 |
| Virtual therapy sessions | $116 |
Behavioral Health Medications
In some cases, behavioral health medications may be prescribed as the best treatment plan. Below are some of the most common mental health medications.
- Antipsychotics. Antipsychotics like Seroquel® and Risperdal® are medications used to treat hallucinations, paranoia or psychosis. They can also be used to help stabilize mania phases in those with bipolar disorder.3
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications. Medications designed to treat the symptoms of ADHD may be stimulants such as Adderall® or non-stimulants such as Strattera®.4
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs such as Lexapro® and Zoloft® are a type of medication that prevent the uptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin and are used to treat the symptoms of depression. They may also be prescribed to treat anxiety, bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).5
- Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). SNRIs such as Cymbalta® and Effexor® are another type of antidepressant that may be prescribed to treat the symptoms of depression. They differ from SSRIs by preventing the uptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. They may also be administered to help treat bipolar disorder, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis pain or panic disorders.5
- Other behavioral health medications. When other treatments have not been effective for mental health conditions like depression or sleep problems, other prescriptions, such as Xanax® or trazodone, may be helpful.
Behavioral health medications cost by type
Below is the average cost* of a 30-day supply for a variety of common behavioral health medications.2
| Behavioral health medication | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Antipsychotics | |
| Risperdal® | $475 |
| Risperidone (generic Risperdal) | $95 |
| Seroquel® | $226 |
| Quetiapine (generic Seroquel®) | $146 |
| ADHD medications | |
| Adderall | $703 |
| Adderall (generic) | $45 |
| Strattera | $495 |
| Atomoxetine (generic Strattera) | $201 |
| SSRIs | |
| Celexa® | $403 |
| Citalopram (generic Celexa) | $91 |
| Lexapro | $502 |
| Escitalopram (generic Lexapro) | $146 |
| Paxil® | $351 |
| Paroxetine (generic Paxil) | $40 |
| Prozac® | $605 |
| Fluoxetine (generic Prozac) | $25 |
| Zoloft | $505 |
| Sertraline (generic Zoloft) | $35 |
| SNRIs | |
| Cymbalta | $353 |
| Duloxetine (generic Cymbalta) | $253 |
| Venlafaxine (generic Effexor) | $55 |
| Wellbutrin® | $301 |
| Bupropion (generic Wellbutrin) | $25 |
| Other behavioral health medications | |
| Trazodone | $10 |
| Xanax | $254 |
| Alprazolam (generic Xanax) | $21 |
Mental Health Treatment Costs
When traditional mental health treatments have not been effective for depression and anxiety, other mental health treatments such as ketamine infusions or transcranial magnetic stimulation may be suggested as alternatives. These are the average costs* for these treatments.2
| Mental health treatment types | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Ketamine infusions | $355 |
| Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) | $10,600 |
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