Weekly Checkup
August 10, 2016
The Increasing Psychiatrist Shortage
The number of practicing psychiatrists per 10,000 residents decreased across the U.S. between 2003 and 2013.[1] A federally commissioned advisory committee predicted this in 1983, and a recently published article in Health Affairs confirmed that prediction. The median number of psychiatrists per 10,000 people declined by 10.2 percent while the ratio for other specialties remained constant or increased.
This decrease in the number of mental health care providers, combined with poorly targeted SAMHSA funds, the IMD exclusion, and the numerous difficulties in navigating insurance coverage requirements, is likely caused by and contributes to the lack of access to mental health care in the US.
[1] Tara F. Bishop et al., Population of US Practicing Psychiatrists Declined, 2003-13, Which May Help Explain Poor Access to Mental Health Care, 35 H. Aff. 7, Jul. 2016; http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/35/7/1271.abstract