Addressing National Workforce Shortages by Funding Child Psychiatry Access Programs

For decades, the medical community has been dealing with a shortage of child psychiatrists in the United States. A study published in Pediatrics in November 2019 demonstrated that although the number of child psychiatrists increased in the last 10 years, there are still not enough to meet demand, and counties in the United States with lower levels of income and education particularly struggle to meet demand.¹ Thirty-six states have fewer than 10 child psychiatrists per 100 000 children, with only 3.3 child psychiatrists per 100 000 in the most extreme case.¹ This imbalance translates into wait times of over 11 months for an appointment with a child psychiatrist in some areas.² Furthermore, up to 20% of children in the United States have a mental health disorder, with suicide the second most common cause of death among 12 to 17 year olds.³ A commentary by David Axelson, MD,⁴ published alongside the Pediatrics study, called for innovation in the delivery of mental health services to children to leverage the existing workforce to make the greatest possible impact. Over the years, many proposed solutions have addressed the workforce shortage, including developing accelerated training pathways for child psychiatrists, recruiting nurse practitioners to the field, and expanding federal loan forgiveness programs, but the shortage has persisted despite these efforts.

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Address correspondence to Kathryn Sullivan, BA, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Box G-9040, Providence, RI 02912. E-mail: kathryn_sullivan{at}brown.edu