Ryan McBain

Health economist trying to make a difference through big data and little deeds (opinions mine, not RAND’s)

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

🚨🤖 New national survey: 5.4 million U.S. youths—about 1 in 8—have used AI chatbots for mental health advice.

What will AI mean for mental health care access, quality, and safety?

Study by @RANDCorporation, in @JAMANetworkOpen

https://t.co/umaGC6wATE

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

Evidence-based mental health care isn’t 🚀 science. But the financing gap remains massive. We show states how to measure it—and what it’ll take to close it. #MentalHealthMatters

New pub with my @RANDCorporation colleagues: https://t.co/DlKMs49yO2

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

We spend $31 billion annually on youth mental health in the US—but still fail to meet basic access and quality needs. Read our new @AspenInstitute report on the US child & adolescent mental health crisis.
📘 https://t.co/uulL3RHbZZ
#MentalHealth #HealthPolicy #YouthMentalHealth

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

What would it look like to treat all adults with serious mental illness in CA? Answer:

🧠 598K adults in care
💵 $12.7B annually

That’s a huge leap from today’s $2.9B.
Our @RANDCorporation report maps what’s missing:

🔗 https://t.co/4JVJ6y2YVu
#MentalHealth #HealthPolicy #CA

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

How can AI support mental health? Colleagues @RANDCorporation, @Harvard, and I tested ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini’s assessments of suicide response—compared to humans. The verdict: impressive, but there’s room to grow! #AI #MentalHealth #suicideprevention https://t.co/7GydjBnKmQ

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

What if mental health care in sub-Saharan Africa were as cost-effective as treatments for physical health conditions? Would 75% of people still lack treatment? Our study in @TheLancet with @PIH and @RANDCorporation makes a new case for investing in MH. https://t.co/wHWzGIkqWN

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

Have you, like me, used #telehealth over the past few years to connect with a therapist? Since the end of the COVID Public Health Emergency, access to services has been on the decline. Learn more from our new @RANDCorporation study at @JAMANetworkOpen https://t.co/82LA2uYdPe

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

911 for physical health emergencies, 988 for mental health emergencies? It only works if 988 has long-term funding. Check out our article by colleagues at @nyuniversity and @RANDCorporation to learn how financing could work. https://t.co/TQZiFtKz50

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

Toxic stress in childhood can have a ripple effect on your health as an adult. CA is screening for #ACEs in primary care to intervene earlier. What evidence supports this? Find out in an #ACEsAware UCAAN study by @RANDCorporation, @UCLA, @UCSF partners. https://t.co/NXDUpNYrxt

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

Policies matter! Some states passed legislation during COVID-19 expanding telehealth, others did not. Our study—at JAMA—shows large differences in availability of virtual mental health services today, based on these policies. @JAMA_current @RANDCorporation https://t.co/Wd5NpLqjUY

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

@philphriday @Guesty Yeah what he said!

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

Silver lining from COVID-19: millions became familiar with telehealth—esp important for those with mental health needs like depression and anxiety. Yet access may shrink dramatically when the Public Health Emergency ends. Read here: https://t.co/C26Ex4vEeO #MentalHealthAwareness

[RAND @RANDCorporation]

New study: Telehealth services for mental health problems surged 16 to 20 fold during the first year of the pandemic. https://t.co/efw28T42Zh @ryankmcbain @CM_Whaley

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

Mental health emergencies are all too common in the United States. What role do hotlines play in responding, and what do we know about their impact? A new study by @RANDCorporation researchers reviews this. #MentalHealthMatters #mentalhealthday2022 https://t.co/Uw0DrlwROb

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

Tomorrow marks the beginning of 988’s rollout.

Many counties/states are now aiming for a “soft launch”, indicating that resources to fully support a national hotline will take time. This confirms findings in our recent #randcorporation report: https://t.co/qTu2XgHbfP

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

Op-Ed: Will the new 988 hotline be a game changer for mental health or a missed opportunity? https://t.co/7sBuHLexZR

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

988 is about to become the new mental health emergency hotline number, just like 911 for physical health emergencies. Is the US ready? Read a new @RANDCorporation working paper to find out: https://t.co/K4Wqi3ZhFP

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

People with serious mental illness deserve shelter and appropriate care, rather than living on the street or in jail. Give this new @JAMAPsych article by @RANDCorporation authors a read to learn how this can be done! #mentalhealth https://t.co/yu0p5NWma8

[Katie Shultz @katieshultz]

1/2 Hi @zackafriedman! As a big podcast fan, was interested to read your @forbes piece today (https://t.co/4M34e0Ecti) but then disappointed to find such a lack of representation of voices & a preponderance of white men.

[Ryan McBain @ryankmcbain]

Over 1 million children in the US have #autism or an autism spectrum disorder. We need a strong #workforce to support these children, and the latest study @JAACAP shows families need more support. https://t.co/sMiuaeUJV7 @autismspeaks @Autism @NationalAutism