U.S. Faces Shortage of Mental Health Professionals

The latest Health Resources and Services Administration data estimates that 122 million Americans (37% of the population) live in areas with a mental health professional shortage. It would take an additional 6,398 mental health providers to fill those gaps. Mental health shortages across the nation range in severity but are generally found in rural areas.

Experts predict that within the next year, the United States will be short between 14,280 and 31,109 mental health professionals.

“We have a chronic shortage of psychiatrists, and it’s going to keep growing. People can’t get care. It affects their lives, their ability to work, to socialize or even to get out of bed,” (Saul Levin, MD, CEO and Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association).

Amid this shortage, we have included a few definitions and resources to help with mental health issues. The graphic below breaks down the difference between mental health, mental illness, mental wellbeing, and mental fitness. 

Mental health is all around us, but it’s often misunderstood. This Roadmap to Mental Health includes some quick info to help demystify what we mean by “mental health” and how to talk about it. Although it can be difficult to talk about mental health in the workplace, doing so benefits everyone. When employers and managers address mental health, employees are happier, productivity improves, and the workplace becomes a healthier environment.

Reach out to our own Strategic Wellbeing Consultant, Taylor Hahn, to discuss next steps as many of our other employer groups have found this to be a successful approach.