Psychiatrists Shortage Leaves Patients Struggling

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — If you break your arm, or catch a cold, a trip to the doctor's office will fix most woes. But what happens when the doctor isn't there to fix an arm, or help heal a cough?

That's the conundrum across the country that people with mental illnesses are facing. If you were to look at a green to red color-coded map of the United States depicting the number of child psychiatrists per capita, you would be looking at a bleeding red map.

The entire nation, with the exception of Washington, D.C., is in a child psychiatrist shortage, which is especially true in eastern Idaho. There are only five child psychiatrists per 100,000 people in Idaho, when the recommended amount is 47 per capita to be considered a mostly sufficient supply, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.