Shortages of rural mental health professionals

Model of supply and demand for mental health professionals and relationship with community/patient outcomes.

Mental health professional shortage areas, 2000. (Southeastern Rural Mental Health Research Center University of Virginia, October, 2002). U.S. Counties: □, none;●, total county; ▩, partial county. Data from Area Resources File, February 2001; Original Data Source: HRSA.

Mental health professionals in Virginia. Data from 2001 Virginia Department of Health Professions and 2001 Area Resources File and Merwin et al. (2002). Note some categories of professionals such as social workers and clinical nurse specialists includes providers who work in mental health and nonmental health areas. It is not possible to identify individuals's focus of practice from.

Changes in availability of mental health professionals in Virginia, 1996-2000. ▩, 1996; ●, 2000. Note: Clinical nurse specialists include mental health and other specialites of clinical nurse specialists. A prior study determined about 51% of clinical nurse specialists in Virginia specialize in mental health care.

Virginia mental health professionals. Southeastern Rural Mental Health Research Center total professionals per 10,000: □, 0-2.16; ●, 2.37-4.79; ▩, 4.85-10.02; ●, 10.08 and over. Data from Merwin et al. (2002). Shortages of menatal health professionals in Virginia. Virginia Primary Care Association. Available: http://www.vpca.com/.