New SPAN Survey Highlights Persistent Gaps in Schizophrenia Care Despite Advancing Treatment Landscape

At the start of Mental Health Awareness Month, new survey data from the Schizophrenia Policy Action Network (SPAN) reinforce what practicing psychiatric clinicians already navigate daily: Despite growing recognition of serious mental illness (SMI) as a treatable medical condition, access to consistent, evidence-based care remains limited.¹

Survey findings show that while 97% of respondents view mental illness as an important issue, only 18% rate access to services positively. Just 4% believe individuals with SMI are receiving adequate care.¹

In a press release, SPAN noted that gaps in access, coverage, and infrastructure continue to delay or prevent timely treatment for patients with schizophrenia and other psychosis spectrum disorders.²

Recognition of Treatability Outpaces System Capacity

Encouragingly, the survey reflects a broad understanding that schizophrenia is both a medical condition and a treatable one. A majority of respondents indicated confidence that SMI can be effectively managed, and 86% agreed that individuals can live productive lives with appropriate treatment and support.^1,2

Yet this recognition has not translated into reliable access to care. High treatment costs (57%) and inadequate insurance coverage (44%) remain the most frequently cited barriers. In addition, limited hospital capacity and fragmented outpatient follow-up continue to disrupt continuity of care.^1,2

Frontline Perspective: Fragmentation Undermines Outcomes

The survey arrives at a time of notable progress in psychopharmacology. Over the past decade, novel mechanisms of action and continued development have expanded the therapeutic landscape for SMI, including treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and schizophrenia. Yet timely access to care remains limited.

“We are getting much better with the medications, but the cost of those medications and having access to those medications still needs a lot of improvement,” Anthony Brown, MS, said in an exclusive interview with Psychiatric Times.

The bipartisan survey, which represented the general population and patients with schizophrenia, echoed this notion. “There's a huge, overwhelming response here that we must do something differently,” Brown said about the survey results. “We must do something better. The system is broken.”

For many clinicians, the practical barrier is not awareness of new options but navigating prior authorizations, formulary restrictions, and payer variability that delay initiation or disrupt continuity, he said, which then translates into poorer outcomes. These disruptions contribute to relapse, rehospitalization, and functional decline, outcomes that newer therapies alone cannot fully mitigate. “The more people discharged to come back to the hospital, the more damage is done to the brain,” Brown said. “A lot of times they switch doctors, which means the treatment gets changed and there's not a lot of follow-through.”

Access to care can make a world of a difference, Bethany Yeiser, who lives in recovery from schizophrenia, told Psychiatric Times. “I was homeless for 4 years, including a year living outside. I didn't have a clue that anything was wrong with me. I thought I was mentally healthy,” she said of her journey. “Once they put me on medication, I was able to realize, oh, I want to go back to school. Why am I on the streets? Why am I not in touch with friends and family?” She went back to school and earned a degree in molecular biology from the University of Cincinnati; she also serves as president of the CURESZ Foundation and is on the board of SPAN where she advocates for others. “I want to see more people get that chance at a new life.“

Closing the Gap Between Innovation and Implementation

Brown and Yeiser were both pleased and disappointed with the results from the survey. “In one sense, the survey was a success because it identified that we know we have a big problem,” Yeiser said. “Once we're able to identify this problem, I hope we can start making some policy changes. And that's what the Schizophrenia Policy Action Network is all about.”

“We need more lobbyists on Capitol Hill saying, look, advocate for these vulnerable, neglected, Americans who deserve better,” Yeiser added. “We need to get them the most cutting edge, appropriate medication. We need policies that get our severely mentally ill into hospitals instead of into jails and prisons because 2 million people with severe mental illness are incarcerated in this country every year. They deserve treatment that works to give them the highest quality of life possible.”

“So now that we've identified the problem, let's get to work,” she urged.

References

1. New National Poll Shows Bipartisan Voter Support for Improved Care for Serious Mental Illness and Congressional Action. Schizophrenia Policy Action Network press release. May 1, 2026. Accessed May 1, 2026. https://www.einpresswire.com/article/909659292/new-national-poll-shows-bipartisan-voter-support-for-improved-care-for-serious-mental-illness-and-congressional-action

2. SPAN. Serious Mental Illness Care Needs Urgent Action. May 1, 2026. Accessed May 1, 2026. https://span-scz.org/mental-illness-care-poll/