Lookbook Vol. 2
DEFINITION
The number of psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, providers that treat alcohol and other drug abuse, and advanced practice nurses specializing in mental health care per 100,000 population in 2020. 7
OKLAHOMA 411.3 per 100,000 residents
NATIONAL AVERAGE 268.6 per 100,000 residents
Access to Mental Health Services Data Highlight: Oklahoma ranks 9 (of 50) for the number of providers, though experts warn this number is misleading.7,11 Massachusetts has the most mental health providers with a rate of 666.4, while Alabama has the smallest number with a rate of 112.7 per 100,000 residents.7
Why We Care: “I started calling a list of psychiatrists who supposedly took my insurance. Some of them were dead. Many weren’t taking new patients. Others didn’t take my insurance.” 12 This first-person account describes a common interaction with “Ghost Networks” in Psychiatry, and in part explains why Oklahoma appears to have a large network of mental health providers (411.3 per every 100,000 residents), but significant gaps in coverage remain. Additionally, because reported provider rates are inclusive of those clinicians who are no longer practicing, as well as those who work in the private industry, the rates do not fully represent the landscape of accessible services in Oklahoma.11 Women are twice as likely as men to develop anxiety disorders, the most common group of mental health disorders in the United States. Though women are more likely than men to access care, there is still a substantial societal stigma around mental illness dissuading many women from receiving the critical care they need. This is especially true in certain communities of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, where discussing mental illness is avoided as a protective measure to avoid further discrimination against themselves and their community. 13 For women without insurance, and those from low-income backgrounds, economic barriers to access persist. 5 What We Can Do: - Continue to support the safety net providers across the state through maintaining legislative allocations for social service organizations providing mental health services - Support the identification and deployment of diverse mental health providers representative of the populations being served within our communities p. 10
