Psychiatrist posts for children and adolescents have high vacancy rates in both England and the United States. This shortage of experts in mental health could be detrimental to the youth.
In England, one in three consultant psychiatrist posts for children and adolescents are vacant. To be more specific, one in five (19.2%) of all 842 child and adolescent psychiatrist posts in England are vacant. This figure goes up to over one in three or 36.8%, when including psychiatrist posts being covered by locums---a person who stands in temporarily for someone else of the same profession.
The findings are from a workforce census published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which noted that mental health services now have the highest vacancy rates of any psychiatric specialism.
What Are the Numbers in the US?
The United States is seeing an even grimmer prospect. As of April 2024, 72% of counties lack practicing child and adolescent psychiatrists, according to data from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).
Of all states, Alaska had the highest concentration of child and adolescent psychiatrists, with five for every 100,000 people. This was followed by Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Montana---each with about three psychiatrists per 1,000 people.
Read Also: Antidepressants Could Be Linked To Suicidal Thoughts and Drug Poisoning Among Kids, FDA Warns
How Does Shortage in Child Psychiatrists Affect Children?
Both in England and the US, a shortage of psychiatrists can have negative impacts on the mental health care of children. With fewer professionals available, children often face extended wait periods to see a specialist. In the US, the waiting period can extend to a month and a half.
When children wait too long, they can experience a deterioration in their mental health. In fact, there was an increase of more than 50% in the number of children referred to emergency mental health care in England in three years, partially due to the long waiting times, per The Guardian.
In addition, pediatricians could be forced to manage complex psychiatric cases. These are beyond their training, which could compromise the quality of care and lead to an overreliance on antipsychotic medication.
It is important to note that untreated mental illnesses can have lifelong impacts on a child's growth and development. Mental illness is also involved in almost all suicides involving children and adolescents.
