44% Of U.S. Population Lives In An Area With Psychiatry Shortage

As of August 2015, an estimated 3,968 whole or partial counties in the United States, where roughly 44% of the population resides, are designated as Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (MH-HPSAs) — defined broadly as an area with fewer than one psychiatrist per 30,000 population. Across all the geographic areas designated as MH-HPSAs, available psychiatrist services cover about 56.3% of projected needs. An estimated 2,656 more psychiatrists are needed in the United States to address this shortage.

These findings were reported in “HRSA Report: Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas Statistics” by the federal Health Resources . . .