Primary care physicians across the U.S. are treating a significant mental health burden without the staffing or confidence to fully address it, according to the Commonwealth Fund’s 2025 International Health Policy Survey of primary care physicians in 10 countries.
Here are five things to know:
- Staffing for mental health remains limited. Forty-one percent of U.S. primary care physicians who responded said a psychologist or other mental health provider works within their practice.
- Social work support is only slightly more common. Forty-six percent of U.S. physicians reported having a social worker on staff — a role that typically helps patients navigate housing, food and employment instability.
- That staffing shortfall exists despite high demand. Nearly half of U.S. physicians, 48%, said “a lot” of the health conditions they treat stem from mental health needs.
- Social factors compound the problem. About one-third of U.S. physicians who responded, 32%, said “a lot” of the conditions they see are tied to patients’ socioeconomic situation, including unstable housing, lack of access to nutritious food and unemployment.
- Preparedness has not kept pace with either. The same 48% of physicians who said their practice is well prepared to manage mental health needs drops sharply when it comes to addiction: 16% said they feel equipped to treat addiction-related issues.
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