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Increasingly Severe Symptoms in Patients Pushing Mental Health Practitioners to Capacity
Mental healthcare patients presenting with increasingly severe symptoms that require an increase in treatment sessions have psychologists facing capacity strains, according to results from the 2023 Practitioner Pulse Survey, which was released on Tuesday by the American Psychological Association.
>> VIEW the full 2023 Practitioner Pulse Survey
Findings in the report, which are based on a survey completed by 561 licensed practicing psychologists between August 30 and September 29, included the following:
- 52% of respondents said they were seeing an increase in symptom severity among patients;
- 41% said they were seeing an increase in the number of sessions spent treating each patient;
- 56% said they have no openings for new patients; and
- 69% of psychologists who maintain a waitlist said the average wait for a first appointment was up to 3 months, with 31% reporting average wait times of more than 3 months.
Psychologists also reported an increased demand for certain conditions, including anxiety disorders (68%), and trauma- and stressor-related disorders (50%). Psychologists participating in the survey also reported treating patients with physical conditions, including 50% who treat patients with chronic pain, 42% who treat those with obesity/weight conditions, 27% who treat patients with cancer symptoms, and 25% who treat those with high blood pressure.
“These findings underscore the sustained demand for care, led by increased severity of symptoms and extended treatment courses, compounded by increases year after year,” APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, said in a news release. “This paints a clear picture of psychologists operating at the brink of their capacity. To better meet demand, it is essential that we develop comprehensive public health strategies that reach people throughout their lifespan and robustly address behavioral health alongside physical health.”
Evolving Workforce
The survey also demonstrated ways in which psychologists are adapting to meet patient demand. For example, 86% said they have worked alongside other healthcare providers, such as psychiatrists, other physicians, occupational therapists, physician assistants, community health workers, and speech language pathologists. Of psychologists who have collaborated with other providers, 59% reported doing so frequently or very frequently.
Meanwhile, although the percentage of psychologists offering fully remote practices is now 21%, down from a peak of 64% in 2020—the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic—more than two-thirds (67% are working in hybrid arrangements in which they see some patients in person and others remotely.
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