Finding a mental health counselor is hard because demand has outgrown the supply. Mental health problems have risen for decades. Stress from the coronavirus pushed the need even higher. Many psychologists and psychiatrists are not taking new patients. So a wait of several months is now normal.
Summary: Mental health problems have grown significantly in the last few decades. Finding mental health counseling in the US has been hard for many years. Psychologists and psychiatrists are just not taking new patients. Wait times run several months. The mental health system seems not to have been ready for a many-sided stress like the coronavirus epidemic. Coronavirus stress raised the need for counseling significantly. So more and more people struggle to find mental counseling support.
Getting brain health counseling on time has never been this hard. The delays are painfully long. So many people turn to other ways to manage their health, like yoga or online advice.
Things are worst in big cities, where getting qualified mental health advice can take months. The Internet is full of stories of people who badly need help but cannot find any. For example, many need counseling to get through grief. If they cannot get help right away, things can get much worse. But it seems no one will take new clients.
Did the pandemic make it harder to find a counselor?
Getting counseling on time was never easy in cities like Los Angeles. But things have gotten worse lately. Many more people seem to seek help because of the coronavirus. And the US just does not have enough qualified mental health workers.
Take Boston Medical Center. It started calling parents of children who joined the waiting list in April 2021. Sadly, those families had to wait more than 10 months to see a child psychiatrist.
The American Psychological Association (APA) recently ran a survey. It found huge pressure on psychologists. The coronavirus pandemic has pushed up demand for care by as much as 50% in many cases. That includes care for depressive disorder, anxiety, grief, sleep disorders and substance abuse.
In the APA survey, 62% of psychologists said they got more patient referrals since the coronavirus pandemic began. They also reported almost 40% more work. So 65% said they have no room for new patients.
APA speaks for 133,000 psychologists. It is not surprised by these problems. It has warned of them for a long time.
APA long predicted the deficit of mental health care workers
Back in 2020, the APA’s journal published an article. In it, the association said the current system is not ready for the surge in mental health problems. It blamed many-sided stresses like covid-19.
Why is it so hard to find a mental health counselor?
Mental health counselors may be psychologists or other people trained to manage mental health. They give advice and non-drug ways to manage mental health, like telehealth. But they do not prescribe drugs. Then there are psychiatrists. They often prescribe medicine for mental health problems. People also see psychiatrists for more severe problems like major depression or even schizophrenia.
The US seems to be short of psychologists and psychiatrists. That is the main reason people wait so long for help. The number of people living with mental health problems has grown significantly in the last few decades. But today’s health system was built after World War two. It failed to see this surge in mental health problems coming.
An even bigger problem is finding narrow specialists. For example, it is very hard to find a specialist for mental problems in children. Also, very few psychiatrists understand the needs of ethnic minorities in the US. So if you are black, finding a psychiatrist with experience treating black people can be hard.
In short, the US is in the middle of a mental health epidemic. The healthcare system urgently needs reform. But that cannot happen overnight. Until then, most people are left on their own to find a brain health counselor.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to find a therapist?
Often months. Psychologists and psychiatrists are turning away new patients. Waits of several months are common, and longest in big cities. Children can wait even longer. Boston Medical Center began calling back parents who joined its waiting list in April 2021. Those families waited more than 10 months to see a child psychiatrist.
Are therapists taking new patients?
Many are not. The American Psychological Association ran a survey. 62% of psychologists reported more patient referrals since the pandemic began. Their workload rose almost 40%. And 65% said they had no room for new patients. Demand for care of depression, anxiety, grief, sleep disorders and substance abuse rose by as much as 50% in many cases.
What do I do if I can’t get a therapist?
Many people in that spot fall back on yoga or online advice while they wait. The delay carries real risk. Someone who needs grief counseling can get worse without quick support. It helps to know who does what. Mental health counselors offer non-drug ways to manage mental health and do not prescribe. Psychiatrists treat more severe problems like major depression and schizophrenia. They often prescribe medicine.
Why is it hard to find a therapist for children or minorities?
Narrow specialists are the hardest to find. Mental health specialists for children are very scarce. Very few psychiatrists understand the needs of ethnic minorities in the US. So a Black patient looking for a psychiatrist who has treated Black patients can search a long time. That shortage sits on top of a system built after World War II. That system did not see today’s rise in mental health problems coming.
Related reading
Hard to Find a Doctor When You Take Opioids for Pain · Telephone Counseling to Quit Smoking · Drug Addiction Treatment, St. Louis