The Bureau of Health Workforce Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Data Warehouse (HDW) serves as the enterprise repository for HRSA’s data and makes that data available to the public. The data warehouse integrates this data with external sources, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, enabling users to gather relevant and meaningful information about health care programs and the populations they serve.

And the current data shows a growing shortage of psychiatrists. As of August 2015, an estimated 3,968 whole or partial counties in the United States, where roughly 44% of the population resides, are designated as Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (MH-HPSAs) – defined broadly as an area with fewer than one psychiatrist per 30,000 population.

And the problem is likely to get worse. A recent survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges found that 59 percent of psychiatrists are 55 or older, the fourth oldest of 41 medical specialties, signaling that many may soon be retiring or reducing their workload. Charles Ingoglia, a vice president of the National Council for Behavioral Health, helps coordinate a network of 2,300 not-for-profit clinics nationwide that provide mental health services. “I’m not aware of any part of the country where it is easy for our members to find psychiatrists,” he said.

Statistics help tell the story. According to the American Medical Association, the total number of physicians in the U.S. increased by 45 percent from 1995 to 2013, while the number of adult and child psychiatrists rose by only 12 percent, from 43,640 to 49,079. During that span, the U.S. population increased by about 37 percent; meanwhile, millions more Americans have become eligible for mental health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Dr. Renee Binder, president of the American Psychiatric Association, says the perception of inadequate pay is a factor in discouraging some medical students from choosing psychiatry as a specialty. The latest federal data shows a mean annual wage of $182,700 for psychiatrists, slightly below the mean for general practitioners and 28 percent below that for surgeons.

Some psychiatrists are switching to a cash-only practice out of frustration with what they view as inadequate reimbursement from government and private insurance plans.

Geographically, the distribution of psychiatrists across the U.S. is uneven. California has 370 total designations in 53 geographical areas. 158 practitioners are needed to remove the designations.