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Why is psychiatry in demand?
Several factors fuel the shortage. “The U.S. population has grown, there’s a lot of mental health need especially with the pandemic, and we don’t have enough residency slots to train people,” says Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, psychiatry residency program director at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. Several factors fuel the shortage. “The U.S. population has grown, there’s a lot of mental health need especially with the pandemic, and we don’t have enough residency slots to train people,” says Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, psychiatry residency program director at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. Several factors fuel the shortage. “The U.S. population has grown, there’s a lot of mental health need especially with the pandemic, and we don’t have enough residency slots to train people,” says Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, psychiatry residency program director at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. Depression, anxiety, grief, and substance abuse have soared during the pandemic, but 111 million Americans live in a psychiatry shortage area, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services—and the current shortage of 6% is expected to be between 14,280 and 31,109 psychiatrists by 2024. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 8.7% employment growth for psychiatrists between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 2,400 jobs should open up. Psychiatrists are physicians who diagnose, treat and work to prevent disorders relating to the mind and mental health. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 8.7% employment growth for psychiatrists between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 2,400 jobs should open up. Psychiatrists are physicians who diagnose, treat and work to prevent disorders relating to the mind and mental health.
Is there a future for psychiatry?
The future of psychiatry will likely be increasingly personalized — and patients may not even need to leave their homes to access care. Already, virtual therapy websites set patients up with online sessions, allowing them to access therapeutic support they otherwise might not receive. The future of psychiatry will likely be increasingly personalized — and patients may not even need to leave their homes to access care. Already, virtual therapy websites set patients up with online sessions, allowing them to access therapeutic support they otherwise might not receive. Psychiatry allows you to really get to know your patients, and helping to alleviate their suffering feels satisfying. Psychiatry touches on diverse disciplines from philosophy to endocrinology, and it requires subtlety and skill. Psychiatry allows you to really get to know your patients, and helping to alleviate their suffering feels satisfying. Psychiatry touches on diverse disciplines from philosophy to endocrinology, and it requires subtlety and skill.