I'm seeing it. It isn't quite what that article seems to be portraying. A very high proportion of elderly people who end up in nursing homes have anxiety and depression, and if they are diagnosed, they count towards the percentage of mentally ill people who can be in a nursing home. But I was surprised to also see younger people in nursing homes with eating disorders, schizophrenia, etc. They are supposed to be in the nursing home because they need nursing care. I was also surprised that we have nursing homes with units for developmental disability.

It is related to lack of other options. Nursing homes are usually not a desired placement for almost anybody. Even elderly patients with declining health and independence don't want to be there. But other programs have very long waiting lists and not enough services available. One of the local nursing homes in my area used to be a state mental hospital. It seems that part of the result of the movement to de-institutionalize has resulted in re-naming the institutions and pretending they are something else. We do need some better alternatives and solutions.