Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Selected Behavioral Health Providers

Abstract
In 2020, an estimated 12.7 million rural adults had a behavioral health concern – mental illness, substance use disorder, or other psychiatric conditions. Rural communities have fewer behavioral health care providers compared to urban communities, and rural residents travel farther on average to access behavioral health care. These data briefs describe the trends in the supply and distribution of selected behavioral health providers in the rural vs urban U.S. nationally, and within Census Divisions. The behavioral health providers examined include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors. There were fewer per capita behavioral health providers in rural vs urban counties. There were also differences in the supply of providers across rural categories and Census Divisions. While the per capita supply of psychiatrists declined over the past decade, the supply of psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors increased in both rural and urban counties.

Citation:
Andrilla CHA, Woolcock SC, Garberson LA, Patterson DG. Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Selected Behavioral Health Providers. WWAMI Rural Health Research Center, University of Washington, Oct 2022.