2 - Telemental Health as a Solution to the Widening Gap Between Supply and Demand for Mental Health Services

Abstract

There is a significant shortage of mental health providers relative to demand for mental health services in the United States. This chapter reviews the current status and future trends in the available mental health workforce. It then discusses how TMH may address a large and widening gap in care. The chapter focuses on psychiatry, as the most comprehensive data are available for this discipline and telepsychiatry is one of the most frequently requested services through TMH. The supply of psychiatrists has not kept pace with the growth of other physicians over the past few decades. During this time, the demand for psychiatric services has increased markedly. The mismatch between supply and demand is accentuated by a marked variation in geographic distribution of existing psychiatric providers. All indicators suggest that these patterns will continue, i.e., an ongoing increasing demand for psychiatric services, and, at best, a steady and maldistributed supply. More efficient uses of existing psychiatric resources are going to be vital to addressing this widening supply and demand gap, and telepsychiatry is likely to be part of any strategic solution. Comparable workforce data pertaining to psychologists suggests the gap in care pertains to the range of mental health disciplines.