JEFFERSON CITY, MO. (AP) -- The number of people with mental illnesses living in Missouri nursing homes is growing at the third fastest clip in the country.
Federal data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid prepared for The Associated Press show that more than 4,400 people with mental illnesses stayed in Missouri nursing homes last year.
Across the U.S., more mentally ill adults are being cared for in nursing homes. But few states have experienced the rapid growth of Missouri.
Missouri's nursing home population of mentally ill adults between the ages of 22 and 64 is the eighth highest in the country. It has increased by 76 percent since 2002 -- a growth rate behind only Nevada and Utah. It dwarfs the overall national increase of 41 percent.
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