U.S. Mental Health Care Gets Low Score

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Mental health care services for adults in the United States received a D in a report card issued Wednesday by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

The advocacy group issued the same grade three years ago and said there hasn't been enough improvement to warrant a better score, CNN reported. In addition, state budget cuts threaten to further reduce mental health care.

"Ironically, state budget cuts occur during a time of economic crisis, when mental health services are needed even more urgently than before," Michael Fitzpatrick, NAMI's executive director, said in a statement. "It's a vicious cycle that can lead to ruin."

Since the last report card, 14 states improved their grade, and 12 states lost ground. Oklahoma improved from a D to a B, while South Carolina had the largest drop, from a B to a D, CNN reported.

About 25 percent of Americans suffer mental illness at some point in their lives, and mental illness is the greatest cause of disability in the United States, according to NAMI.