The U.S. may face a shortage of 54,100 to 139,000 physicians by 2033, and access to care in every specialty, including mental health services, is a national issue.
Nationally, there are 56,536 practicing psychiatrists. As of June 14, 10 states were considered to be officially designated health professional shortage areas due to a lack of mental health providers.
The following 10 states have the fewest practicing psychiatrists in relation to their populations, using industry data collected in August by the Kaiser Family Foundation and population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Idaho has one psychiatrist for every 16,294 people. Massachusetts, the state with the most psychiatrists per capita, has one for every 2,377 people. Washington, D.C., has an even better ratio, with one for every 1,158 people.
|
State |
Population |
Psychiatrists |
Residents per psychiatrist |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Idaho |
1,939,033 |
119 |
16,294 |
|
Montana |
1,122,867 |
97 |
11,576 |
|
Mississippi |
2,940,057 |
271 |
10,849 |
|
Nevada |
3,177,772 |
308 |
10,317 |
|
Indiana |
6,833,037 |
663 |
10,306 |
|
Utah |
3,380,800 |
338 |
10,002 |
|
Wyoming |
581,381 |
59 |
9,854 |
|
Alabama |
5,074,296 |
523 |
9,702 |
|
Texas |
30,029,572 |
3174 |
9,461 |
|
Florida |
22,244,823 |
2413 |
9,219 |