The Silent Shortage: How Immigration Can Help Address the Large and Growing Psychiatrist Shortage in the United States
Nearly a third of all psychiatrist positions in 2015 were filled by doctors who graduated from a foreign medical school, according to this NAE study using data from the American Medical Association. Roughly 60 percent of all counties lack a single psychiatrist.
The study suggests that immigrant psychiatrists represent an under-tapped resource, and can provide critical care in underserved areas. Each year, more than 40% of Americans who experience some form of mental illness—an estimated 60M individuals—will go untreated. This is largely due to the understaffing of the specialty: the report states there are roughly 11.5 psychiatrists for every 100,000 people in the country.
New American Economy. (2017). The Silent Shortage: How Immigration Can Help Address the Large and Growing Psychiatrist Shortage in the United States. Retrieved from http://research.newamericaneconomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/NAE_PsychiatristShortage_V6-1.pdf