The Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist as an Advocate: How to Fill the Growing Need Amidst Rapidly Evolving Health Policy Changes and Reform Through Training and Beyond

Abstract

There are many roles that child and adolescent psychiatrists are asked to play in the care of patients in their charge. Providing needed services to the vast numbers of child and adolescent populations is a daunting task in-and-of itself, especially considering that the current estimates of practicing providers is approximately 8,000 in the United States.1 The need for more providers is overwhelming. Published data estimates 20% of US children and adolescents (15 million), ages 9 to 17, have diagnosable psychiatric disorders.2 Given the limited number of providers and the evergrowing patient population they are asked to serve, the few providers that are specialty-trained are facing an uphill battle. Of the 8,000 practicing providers, many are based in geographic regions with specific metropolitan areas that contain more providers than the entirety of some states, such as Rhode Island or Delaware. This dramatically limits patient access to care.3 One way to address a resource shortage and lack of access to mental health care is through advocacy. Research has shown that networking, interacting with members of the government, and raising awareness of mental health needs can lead to better training, service delivery, and mental health policy.4 Due to the shortage of trained child and adolescent psychiatrists, the demand for both quality clinical care and effective advocacy is a responsibility that must be shared by all. Child and adolescent psychiatrists can lend credibility and expertise to advocacy groups seeking to improve access to quality care.