Psychologists Say They Can't Meet The Growing Demand For Mental Health Care

Enlarge this image

SDI Productions/Getty Images

For the third year in a row, many psychologists across the country reported treating patients with worsening symptoms, many of whom required longer periods of treatment.

These are some of the findings of the annual survey released this week by the American Psychological Association. APA launched this study in 2020 to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on practicing psychologists.

Most psychologists say more people are seeking mental health care this year, further expanding already long waiting lists. More than half (56%) said they have no room for new patients. Among those on waiting lists, the average wait was three months or longer, and nearly 40% said the waiting list had grown in the past year.

"We continue to see very high demand for mental health services and very limited supply," says psychologist Phil Wright, chief health innovation officer at the American Psychological Association. "This is not a permanent solution to the mental health crisis in this country."

Images – Health News

Step-by-step instructions for finding a psychotherapist

The survey also found that more people are seeking help for some types of mental health problems, particularly anxiety disorders, depression, trauma and stress-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep disorders and addictions. More than half of the psychologists reported an increase in the duration of their patients' treatment.

As Wright explains, it's the ongoing effects of the pandemic on mental health.

"I think people have been traumatized in different ways during the pandemic," he says. "This can be due to the loss of a loved one and the grief that comes with it. It can also be related to the person's illness and the effects of hospitalization."

He added that the changes in people's personal lives caused by public health measures during the pandemic, including changes in social life and work, as well as changes in the ability to care for loved ones, affect people greatly.

Psychological consequences often occur after trauma and stress. "When things really settle down, the effects of everything we've been through, all that stress, really start to take their toll," says Wright.

He added that mental health providers themselves have been under tremendous pressure since the start of the pandemic and have quickly adapted to pandemic restrictions and increased demand for care.

"It's been very difficult in the last few years to go back to first virtual and now in-person and hybrid," says psychologist Mary Alvord, founder of Alvord, Baker & Associates, Chevy Chase and Associates' private practice. Rockville, Maryland

"Increasingly our admissions interviews involve personal requests from children," he added. Because adults prefer to meet virtually after one or two face-to-face meetings.

More than a third (36%) of psychologists surveyed said they felt burned out. While this is down slightly from the peak of 41% in 2021, the report shows that there are still many providers struggling to cope with the demands of their work.

However, the study found that two-thirds of psychologists are able to practice self-help to deal with work-related stress and burnout, with nearly half relying on peer support to improve well-being.

Alford, who did not participate in the survey, said he and his colleagues rely on each other's support. "We have peer counseling groups where we support each other throughout the week," she says. "Then, personally, I walk 3 to 5 miles a day ... to relieve stress."

Jordan Peterson - Men Caught in Childhood