Facing increasing demand for services in 2022, psychologists experienced limited workload capacity to take on new patients.1 About 38% maintained a waitlist. On average, psychologists were contacted by 15.7 prospective patients per month.
[Related: Providers predict longer wait times for mental health services. Here’s who it impacts most]
In examining the mean number of people seeking services per month and mean number of patients on their waitlists, psychologists working with children (under 11), adolescents (ages 12–17), adults (ages 18–25), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations, and American Indian/Alaska Native/Indigenous populations reported the largest number of patients seeking care per month and largest number of people on a waitlist.
To increase capacity and better meet patient demand, behavioral health providers could explore models of care that go beyond individual services, such as increasing group-based2 and community-based services,3 increasing presence in primary care settings, and implementing organizational strategies in behavioral health workplaces to address burnout, promote well-being, and improve retention.
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