Rural Behavioral Health Workforce

Link	View Research Recap
Date	08/2023
Description	As of March 31, 2023, there were 4,040 Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas in rural areas, with 2,141 practitioners needed to remove the designations. This recap examines the behavioral health workforce supply, including the distribution of counselors, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers.
Topics	Mental and behavioral health, Workforce

Rural Health Research Products Included in this Recap

• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Counselors in the U.S., 2014-2021
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of counselors by rural-urban status and Census Division.
• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners in the U.S., 2014-2021
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of psychiatric nurse practitioners by rural-urban status and Census Division.
• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychiatrists in the U.S., 1995-2019
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of psychiatrists by rural-urban status and Census Division.
• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychologists in the U.S., 2014-2021
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of psychologists by rural-urban status and Census Division.
• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Social Workers in the U.S., 2014-2021
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of social workers by rural-urban status and Census Division.