Psychiatrist & Mental Health Shortage by State

What the HRSA Mental Health Data Shows

The HRSA Data Warehouse currently lists 6,414 mental health Health Professional Shortage Area designations across the 56 states and territories ranked above. The three states with the heaviest mental health shortage load are California (518 HPSAs), Texas (387 HPSAs), and Alaska (330 HPSAs). The top five states account for roughly 27.3% of the active mental health designation records in this state aggregation.

States ranked by active mental-health Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation records from HRSA. A state total is a designation count, not a measure of an individual’s access to care. HRSA documents that HPSAs can describe geographic areas, specific population groups, or facilities. A designation count is therefore useful for comparing this source extract, but it is not a complete estimate of a state’s provider supply or every resident’s care experience. The median state in this ranking has 86 active mental health designation records.

HRSA says that more than 34 federal programs use HPSA, MUA, or MUP designations for eligibility or funding preference. That does not mean every program applies to every record, nor does it establish a person’s eligibility. The figures here are a reproducible state aggregation of the portal’s source-vintaged HRSA records. They describe a federal structural classification, not clinical quality, insurance coverage, appointment availability, or medical advice. For a current record or care decision, use HRSA’s official tools and an appropriate local source.