Psychiatry: The Relevance of Improving Access to Healthcare for Acutely Mentally Ill and Those with Longstanding Mental Illness

Background: There is currently a national mental health crisis due to the lack of access to mental health care. Objectives: 1. To study the different factors that contribute to lack of access to psychiatric treatment. 2. To compare each factor by ranking them according to their relevance in contributing to the lack of access to health care and national mental health crisis as perceived by psychiatrist respondents to a brief survey. 3. To analyze results, discuss implications, and provide recommendations. Methods: Seven factors contributing to lack of access to psychiatric treatment are identified from a review of literature, educational materials, and clinical practice. A cross-sectional survey of psychiatrists in US practice is conducted from July to December 2023 by convenient sampling. Recruitment is done in person and via email, US postal mail, and telephone. Forty-eight respondents rated these factors in a Likert scale and ranked them, taking 15 minutes to complete each survey. Quantitative data are analyzed descriptively, and qualitative data are analyzed deductively by identifying the themes from respondents’ narratives. Results: The factors contributing to lack of access to psychiatric treatment are ranked as follows: 1. Lack of support to mental health organizations to establish and operate high-performance mental healthcare delivery (score: 11). 2. Leadership problem and administration problem (score: 12). 3. Stigma in psychiatrists and patients (score: 10) 4. Lack of support in training medical students (score: 9) 5. Disparity in mental healthcare delivery (score: 6) 6. Breakdown of family structure as, “Family is the cradle of good citizenship” (score: 8) 7. Shortage of psychiatrists (score: 6). The theme that emerged from respondents’ narratives about keeping their job are: 1. Enjoyment 2. Financial 3. Altruism 4. Structure. Conclusions: This study has affirmed the relevance of Psychiatry and the need to improve access to mental healthcare. This will require systemic approach from mental health providers to communities, institutions, and healthcare organizations. It is hoped that studies such as this will spark a cultural transformation that will reverse healthcare access issues.