More than 113,000 Native Americans and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) live in 492 counties with mental health provider shortages. new report From GoodRx Research.
More than 90% of these areas are in rural areas of the United States, where medical resources are already limited, the report said.
“In fact, for every 30,000 people living in these counties, there is less than one psychiatrist or psychologist,” said Amanda Nguyen, health economist at GoodRx Research.
Nguyen said mental health access is in short supply in the South Midwest, Midwest, and Alaska regions of the United States. Among these regions, Texas (30 mental health desert counties), Kansas (13 counties), Oklahoma (8), Nebraska (8), and Alaska (7) have the highest rates of mental health desertification. In addition to Alaska (11,171), South Dakota (14,650) is one of the regions with the highest number of AI/AN residents living in the mental health desert.
“It’s important to note that our analysis focused on psychiatrists and psychologists because they can diagnose mental disorders and prescribe medications,” she added. , did not consider the critical mental health care and support that social workers, primary care physicians, and traditional healers may provide to these communities.
The report also found limited access to telemedicine services due to insufficient broadband access. This can help mental health resources.
“Generally speaking, rural communities likely lack access to both traditional healthcare infrastructure and telemedicine, which has become more popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially for mental health providers. ‘ said Nguyen.
“If you live in a rural area with limited broadband internet access, access to mental health care can be difficult, as broadband is often required to deliver care via video or online calls.”
The study found that counties with higher populations of AI/AN residents had lower percentages of households with all forms of broadband access, she said. For example, the majority (94%) of counties with more than 50% of her AI/AN residents, such as Apache County in Arizona, have broadband access below the national average.
“For those seeking mental health guidance and support, the internet is a valuable resource and often the quickest,” Nguyen said. “Without broadband access, mental health care becomes more difficult to access, and if psychiatrists and psychologists switch to only providing his care online, people may be left without services. .”
Most Indian Health Service (IHS) clinics and hospitals offer free services to tribal members and are by appointment only. 87% of people who identify as AI/AN live outside tribal areasaccording to US Census data.
“This is not always feasible for all Native American/Alaskan Natives to find accessible, affordable, high quality, culturally appropriate, and meeting their needs mental health care. As a result, they may abandon care altogether,” she said. .
Nguyen hopes this research will raise awareness of the mental health disparities facing the AI/AN community and lead to more solutions to support access to mental health care.
close the window
republish this article
1
