The number of actively practicing psychiatrists increased by only 0.2 percent from 2016 to 2021, according to the Association of American Medical College's "2022 Physician Specialty Data Report."
The report pulled data from the American Medical Association, the Census Bureau, and a national resident database and tracking system. It covered about 950,000 physicians and physicians in training among 48 of the largest specialties in 2021.
There were 38,345 practicing psychiatrists in 2016, while there were 38,424 in 2021.
A survey found that 57,805,000 adults, or 22.8 percent of the U.S. population, experienced a mental illness in 2021, according to a survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association. In 2016, that number was 44,652,000, or 18.3 percent, according to the organization's survey from the corresponding year.