Rightsizing the workforce of psychologist in health care: Trends from licensing boards, training programs, and managed care.

Abstract

The psychology workforce continues to expand despite changes within health care, such as managed care, that appear to reduce the demand for psychologists' services. Data from doctoral training and internship training are reviewed. Estimates of the psychology workforce are provided, including the authors 1 survey of psychology boards for 1995, which estimated there were 89,514 licensed psychologists in the United States. Growth in the field between 1988 and 1995 is estimated at 44%. Workforce estimates are applied to 3 HMO staffing models and population estimates, projecting a surplus of psychologists in many states. The authors provide suggestions for reducing the workforce, including improved monitoring of workforce size and reducing current training levels.The need to develop a workforce strategy to balance the supply and demand for psychologists engaged in clinical service is increasingly compelling. As the ascendence of the managed care paradigm profoundly transforms the delivery of mental health and other health services (Iglehart, 1996), it is especially pressing. Other mental health disciplines (e.g., social work, professional counselors) increasingly compete with psychology to provide many similar services as they (a) have been accorded greater recognition and expanded roles and (b) have developed their own regulatory mechanisms. Substantial reductions hi training have WILLIAM N. ROBINER received his PhD in clinical psychology from Washington University and an ABPP in health psychology. He is an associate

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