Navigating my mental health crisis was hard. Finding proper care was somehow worse.

So what exactly is happening to our mental health system? A psychiatrist and mental health provider shortage America has a severe shortage of psychiatrists and mental health providers even despite the surging public demand for mental health services. Federal data shows over 137 million Americans living in a mental health professional shortage area. And according to statistics, it’s getting worse. According to Crawford, the shortage of psychiatrists is the result of several factors, including the rising demand of mental health services, continued stigma surrounding the profession and inadequate reimbursement from insurance companies. Low reimbursement rates can make it difficult for mental health professionals to justify the years of education and training required to enter the field, contributing to some professionals leaving the workforce. According to Pallavi Yetur, a licensed therapist in California, in addition to people leaving the field due to poor reimbursement rates that are not in line with the time and cost of training, providers also leave due to chronic burnout, a professional epidemic that comes from patient load, fighting to be validated in a stigmatized field and nav...