Psychiatrists in short supply nationwide
March 21, 2014
The number of medical students choosing to specialize in psychiatry is not great enough to meet the nation’s growing mental health demand. Across the country there are 3,900 federally designated “mental health professional shortage areas,” and there are particular needs for more psychiatrists who specialize in treating children, minorities, prisoners, and substance abusers. A variety of solutions to the problem have shown promise, including offering undergraduate courses to introduce future doctors to the field earlier in their education; boosting enrollment in training programs for psychiatric registered nurses; and expanding the use of telepsychiatry for some kinds of care. Volunteerism is another approach; for instance, through the non-profit Give an Hour, mental health professionals agree to donate an hour a week to treat military personnel and their families.
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