Geographic distribution of U.S. psychologists: A human ecological analysis.

Abstract

Characteristics of cities and states were correlated with measures of the geographic distribution of U S . psychologists. Correlations for psychologists providing mental health services were compared with correlations for psychiatrists, clinical social workers, and school guidance personnel. Population size is the strongest correlate of the absolute number of psychologists in various states and cities. When number relative to population is considered, psychologists are concentrated in affluent urban states and in university towns. The same pattern was obtained for all the groups providing mental health services. No evidence was obtained that any of these groups is distributed in a way offering special advantages for serving groups such as poor, black, or rural people, who appear to need better access to mental health services.

Mental health services providers' distribution across counties in the United States.

“…Regardless of aggregate numbers of professionals, if providers are unevenly distributed, equal access may not be possible. This report disputed one previous report (Dorken & Whiting, 1976) and concluded as did Richards and Gottfredson (1978) that psychologists are unevenly distributed, as are social workers and psychiatrists.…”

Effect of telehealth-to-home interventions on quality of life for individuals with depressive and anxiety disorders

“…Services tend to be disproportionately concentrated in more densely populated urban areas, such that those living in rural areas are geographically isolated from care. [15][16][17] For example, many primary care providers in rural settings report a dire need for mental health services, particularly the delivery of evidence-based treatment modalities. 18 Second, access to mental health treatment for many individuals is limited by physical conditions that make leaving the home a significant challenge, 11 independent of the distance to the treatment facility.…”

The use of mental health services by ethnic minorities.

“…Studies have shown that whether a n individual receives treatment, and the corresponding quality of treatment, is a function of the individual's sociodemographic characteristics (Marden, 1966;Richards & Gottfredson, 1978). The resources available in an area will influence the way the health care system responds to mental health problems, and treatment rates are generally higher in areas with more resources.…”