Geospatial analysis of psychiatry workforce distribution and patient travel time reveals disparities in access to mental healthcare

Abstract

Shortages of psychiatrists can lead to disparities in access to mental healthcare. We examined block-level access to psychiatric services via geospatial analysis of locations registered with National Provider Identifier numbers accounting for travel time. Among 718 counties from 12 states, 208 (29%) counties had less than half of their population within 30-min travel time, while only 51 (6%) provided their entire population convenient access to psychiatrists. A considerable amount of the population resides in areas underserved by psychiatry services with varied disparities by rurality and state. Improving access to care could improve mental health outcomes in vulnerable populations.

Keywords

• Drive time
• Mental health professional shortage area
• Social determinants of health