How to avoid a mental health crisis with the declining number of experts
HOUSTON - As levels of anxiety and depression rise, the number of mental health professionals continues to decline. The federal government notes a shortage in 98% of counties in Texas.
The problem can't be fixed quickly because training is time-consuming. It's more important than ever to try to protect your mental health, yet know your options, when you have trouble finding help.
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So, let's start with what's behind the crisis and then look at ways you can still get mental health help, if you can't get an appointment for something like talk therapy.
First of all, strong mental health means an overall stronger body. Doctors say it lessens your risk of sleep disorders, obesity, and digestive issues, just to name a few. However, a shortage of mental health professionals is making it more challenging to get help.
"I just came back from the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association and you can just picture, this is all we talked about! Staff shortages are becoming a bigger and bigger problem, really at every level from psychiatrists to social workers and nurses," explains Dr. Bob Bolland, who is the Chief of Staff at The Menninger Clinic in Houston.
It's only expected to get worse, with the average age of a psychiatrist at 55 now, nearing retirement within a decade.
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Dr. Bolland recognizes what's to come and says The Menninger Clinic in Houston is putting plans in place to prepare.
"For one thing, we do have the advantage of being associated with training through the Baylor College of Medicine, so we are very much involved in training," says Dr. Bolland.
He says everyone at Menninger is doing their part to make it a meaningful place to work. He hopes that will lead to everyone training there wanting to stay to work at Menninger for years to come.
Why is the problem escalating of fewer mental health care experts? Research shows there are six main reasons:
1. Our population is increasing.
2. The demand for care drastically increased during the pandemic with more people suffering.
3. Stigmas about mental health are declining, so more people feel comfortable seeking help.
4. Counselor burn-out is happening, which affected many professions during the pandemic.
5. Mental health care experts often get low reimbursement rates.
6. There are not enough residency programs for psychiatrists.
Dr. Elizabeth Miller is a licensed professional counselor and marriage counselor with Well Mind Body Psychotherapy and Wellness. She has witnessed the shortage building for years and worsening during the pandemic.
"Research really showed in 2019, about one in five people were experiencing mental health issues, and we still had a shortage then. So come 2020 and 2021, what we found is that one in two people were experiencing mental health issues. So just by the matter of more people having symptomology, we really had a shortage of all types of mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, therapists, and psychologists," explains Dr. Miller.
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To help better clarify the difference between those professionals, she further explains.
"To become a psychiatrist, it means you go to medical school, so you're an MD and you can prescribe medication. Another way is to become a psychologist or a clinical psychologist, a social psychologist or school psychologist. And what that means is you are a doctoral level clinician and you do not prescribe medication. Another way is to become a therapist. So that is a master's level license in the state of Texas, where you can treat mental health and behavioral health issues," explains Dr. Miller.
What can you do about this expert shortage to protect yourself? Dr. Miller encourages us all to understand the real connection between mind and body.
"There's a nerve called the vagus nerve that goes from our brainstem all the way into our whole entire organ system, right and so a lot of us are living in fight, flight, freeze or fun. And so when we're doing that we're not getting enough oxygen to our brain. We're not getting adequate sleep, we're not able to rest and reregulate. And so what happens is the side effect of a lot of that is increased anxiety, increased symptoms of depression and when we have poor nutrition, when we're not going to sleep or not in community, those are also risk factors for mental health symptoms," says Dr. Miller.
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She suggests you get all that in check! She often educates her clients about the power of natural supplements for nutritional deficiencies. She also offers food sensitivity testing and says it's a good idea to eliminate certain foods to decrease negative mental health symptoms.
You may be wondering what to do, if the wait is too long for a counselor? Stanley Popovich created a self-help guide called "Managing Fear" and highly suggests support groups, as one idea. He understands all too well how important it is to find something that works for you, because of his own mental health battle the past 20 years.
Other ideas he shares: "Always consult with your primary care physician. If you're religious, consult with a pastor or minister, call your local government programs. If you can't contact your local hospital, they can provide you resources, try to apply to the different courses and sessions they may have. Even if they have a waiting list for four or five months. Get your name in there anyway! An opening could happen and you'd be moved up on the list. Government programs can also be helpful. A lot of people can get involved and talking to local government on terms of different programs that they can take advantage of that's not that expensive. Try telemedicine! There are a lot of opportunities there. Also, a lot of people try to meet after work, but seek help with a counselor in the morning for maybe 20 or 30 minutes, because a lot of times people are not that busy in the mornings compared to at night," suggests Stanley.
For more about his guide to "Managing Fear", click here.
For information on the Menninger Clinic, click here.
For more on Dr. Miller's clinic, click here.