Mental Health Providers

Health
Written By Alysha Rashid

Mental health providers are in short supply in many Southern states. AL has 115 providers per 100,000 people, TX has 131, and WV has 149 – far below the national average of 280.

Mental health providers per 100,000 population, 2021

Registered mental health providers

Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps and Census Bureau Vintage 2021 PEP. Notes: Mental health providers include psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, advanced practice nurses specializing in mental health care, as well as those treating alcohol and other drug abuse.

More than two years since the pandemic struck, American adults continue to experience anxiety and depression at rates nearly triple what they were in 2019. Uncertainty amplifies anxiety and stress, as do economic worries — and inflation causes the greatest economic hardships for Americans with the lowest incomes.1,2,3 In Alabama and West Virginia, more than 1 in 3 adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in June. (Symptoms of Anxiety or Depression) Yet these states have far fewer mental health providers than the national average. And nearly half of all high school-age girls experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the pandemic (Youth Mental Health, by Sex and Sexual Identity).

The current mental health crisis is likely contributing to increasing incidents of road rage, vehicular fatalities, domestic and child abuse, drug overdose deaths, firearm suicides, and violent crime (Firearm Suicides, by Race).4,5,6,7,8,9 Some communities are adopting innovative approaches, such as mobile crisis response services funded by American Rescue Plan and Medicaid dollars.3 Still, many Americans need ongoing care and most states have few plans for expanding the supply of mental health providers.10

  1. “Uncertainty and stress: Why it causes diseases and how it is mastered by the brain”. Peters, McEwen, and Friston. Progress in Neurobiology. September, 2017. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301008217300369 

  2. “More Proof That Money Can Buy Happiness (or a Life with Less Stress)”. Blanding. Harvard Business School. January, 2022. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/more-proof-that-money-can-buy-happiness

  3. “Inflation Causing Hardship for 45% of U.S. Households”. Younis. Gallup. December, 2021. https://news.gallup.com/poll/357731/inflation-causing-hardship-households.aspx 

  4. “Many Teens Report Emotional and Physical Abuse by Parents During Lockdown”. Barry. The New York Times. March, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/health/covid-mental-health-teens.html 

  5. “Danger in danger: Interpersonal violence during COVID-19 quarantine”. Mazza, Marano, Lai, Janiri, and Sani. PubMed. July, 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7190494/

  6. “2020 Fatality Data Show Increased Traffic Fatalities During Pandemic”. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. June, 2021. https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/2020-fatality-data-show-increased-traffic-fatalities-during-pandemic

  7. “Reports of Road Rage Shootings are on the Rise”. Burd-Sharps, Bistline. Everytown. April, 2022. https://everytownresearch.org/reports-of-road-rage-shootings-are-on-the-rise/

  8. “Preventing gun violence takes more than police”. Henderson, Brown. Brookings Institute. March, 2022. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2022/03/31/preventing-gun-violence-takes-more-than-police/ 

  9. “About Multiple Cause of Death, 2018-2020, Single Race”. CDC. https://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10-expanded.html 

  10. “Building a sustainable behavioral health crisis continuum”. Frank, WAchino. Brookings. January, 2022. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/usc-brookings-schaeffer-on-health-policy/2022/01/06/building-a-sustainable-behavioral-health-crisis-continuum/

Alysha Rashid
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