Access to health care goes beyond just having financial coverage - it’s also about being able to find and reach the right providers. As of December 2023, over 168 million people were living in areas officially recognized as having a shortage of mental health professionals. While the Affordable Care Act has helped expand coverage for mental health services through parity provisions, real-world challenges remain. Many people struggle to find in-network providers, and there are still significant cost differences between primary care and mental health care. These barriers are making the provider shortage even worse, leaving millions without the mental health support they need.
Mission Connection carried out a study analyzing 5 years of County Health Rankings data to identify which states and counties across the U.S. have seen the most significant growth or reduction in the number of mental health care providers, shedding light on regions where access has improved or worsened.
Uneven Gains: County- Level Insights While state-level data reveals broad trends, examining the numbers at the county level brings critical disparities into sharper focus. Some counties have experienced remarkable growth in mental health provider availability, while others continue to struggle with severe shortages - or even declines.
Texas' Top 5 Performing Counties (growth in mental health providers): Blanco (400%) Oldham (300%) Stephens (200%) Sabine (200%) Robertson (200%)
On the other end of the spectrum, the bottom 5 counties paint a more troubling picture: Reeves (-100%) Refugio (-100%) Goliad (-50%) Real (-50%) Ochiltree (-33%)
State Level Insights The data reveals a complex picture of mental health care access in the country, with some states making significant strides while others lag behind. Alaska leads the charge with a staggering 66% growth in mental health providers over the past five years.
At a state level, Texas has been one of the top performing states placing in 2nd place nationally. Over 5 years, the number of mental healthcare providers has increased from 32,674 to 47,060 - a 44% increase.
America's Top 5 Performing States: #1 Alaska (66%) #2 Texas (44%) #3 Virginia (42%) #4 Arizona (40%) #5 Alabama (39%) America's Worst 5 Performing States: #1 Oklahoma (8%) #2 Louisiana (12%) #3 New Mexico (15%) #4 Wyoming (15%) #5 Arkansas (17%) Infographic showing the state ranking in mental health providers 'Our study highlights the stark disparities in mental health care access across the United States,” says Ashley Pena, Executive Director at Mission Connection. 'While some areas have made tremendous progress in expanding provider availability, others are falling further behind, leaving thousands without critical support. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted investments, innovative solutions like telehealth, and robust policy reforms to ensure that every community, regardless of its location, has access to the mental health care it deserves.'
Methodology: Percentage increase calculated on five years of mental health providers data, taken from County Health Rankings from 2020 - 2024.
