For psychiatry, the ongoing physician shortage is particularly felt.
The APA anticipates the number of fully-trained psychiatrists will decrease 20% by 2030, while demand is expected to increase by 3%, leaving a shortage of over 12,000.
Further complicating the problem, research shows that mental health diagnoses in the U.S. increased by nearly 40% between 2019 and 2023.
This knowledge serves to spotlight the necessity of hiring locum tenens providers to fulfill patient needs.
Crossing Rural Roads
While psychiatrists are in short supply around the nation, the gap is even greater in rural and underserved areas.
For these patients, barriers to healthcare include the inability to find transportation, long distances from homes to providers, and lack of medical insurance.
What’s more, 58% of facilities surveyed in our own Trends in Locum Tenens Report are located in rural areas – a significant uptick from 34% in 2024.
Locum tenens roles empower providers to go to far-reaching communities, bringing relief to those who would otherwise not receive treatment.
Physician Burnout Creates Complex Issues
Physician burnout has run rampant in the wake of COVID-19, ushering in a new set of complications as the need for behavioral health professionals continues to rise.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 59.3 million U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2022 – a notable increase from estimated 51.5 million in 2019.
With more people in need of treatment from mental illness, the more desperate the shortage of psychiatrists has become. Issues like long appointment wait times and shorter sessions are a detriment to patients, and increased workload leads to provider burnout.
As a result, not only are psychiatrists necessary to augment existing staff, but now even more are required to give full-time providers a much-needed break.
The Remedy for Provider Shortages
With demand rising and psychiatrist shortage looming, locum tenens can be the solution to filling the shortfall – and agencies like ours can help.
Across clinical settings and states, locums are comfortable stepping in for a specified timeframe, then moving on when the assignment concludes.
Amy Gentile, Divisional Vice President and Partner, Behavioral Health, says locum tenens psychiatrists can be a smart, sustainable solution for adequately staffing facilities that face a provider shortage.
“Before starting in the locum tenens industry, I worked as a Master Level Therapist with clients who suffered from both substance abuse and mental health diagnoses. I saw firsthand the importance the role of psychiatry plays in the quality of life for so many individuals,” Gentile explains.
“Having a career in locum tenens has offered a unique vehicle to continue my passion for impacting patients’ lives by providing access to psychiatric care.”
The Bottom Line
Locum providers are on the front lines, bringing their expertise to facilities and treatment to the patients they serve – and we’re the agency that can connect you to the best of the best.
At Consilium, we have an entire team dedicated to psychiatry and behavioral health-related specialties. That means your facility will have the benefit of partnering with a consultant that works exclusively in the behavioral health field.
These experts immerse themselves in the intricacies of the specialty they work with, meaning they’ll understand your needs, the challenges you face, and how to help better than anyone else.
This in-depth understanding allows client consultants and recruiters to precisely identify and connect you with highly-qualified and compassionate behavioral health professionals.
Put it all together, and we’re better prepared to meet your locum tenens needs than any other agency in the industry. That’s the Consilium difference.
Want to learn more? See how we can help with your locum tenens staffing needs.
This post has been updated and was originally published in January 2021.
