38 States Have Workforce Shortages Affecting State Psychiatric Hospital Operations

State psychiatric hospitals in 38 states were affected by workforce shortages during 2023. In 14 states, the state described the shortages for some positions as catastrophic. Another 19 states reported experiencing moderate shortages. The remaining five states reported shortages but did not characterize the severity.

State governments operate 182 psychiatric hospitals that serve more than 41,000 people daily. The statistics about workforce shortages were based on survey responses from 41 states.

Catastrophic shortages were reported by Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. ;

Moderate shortages were reported . . .