The Contributions of Physician Assistants/Associates in Enhancing Access to Mental Health Services

The US is currently experiencing a mental health crisis, with nearly 25% of adults suffering from a mental health disorder and 29% unsure of where to seek services. This significant demand for mental health services, combined with a shortage of psychiatrists, underscores the urgent need to integrate mental health services into primary care settings. Although recent research has explored the attributes of physician assistants (PAs) in psychiatry, there is a lack of studies examining the mental health services provided by PAs in psychiatry and other specialties.
We analyzed 2023 national workforce data to determine how frequently PAs in five specialties screen, diagnose, treat, manage, and refer patients with MH disorders. We examined PAs practicing in psychiatry (n=2,999), family medicine/general practice (n=20,940), emergency medicine (EM; n=13,727), internal medicine (IM; n=5,073), and pediatrics (n=2,269).
Over 90% of PAs in psychiatry screen, diagnose, initiate, and implement treatment for patients with mental health disorders daily. Additionally, PAs in pediatrics (72.3%), family medicine (70.6%), internal medicine (63.5%), and emergency medicine (47.7%) report screening patients for mental health disorders daily. In primary care settings, including family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics, 30-40% of PAs diagnose and initiate treatment for patients with mental health disorders on a weekly basis.
Our findings indicate that PAs in psychiatry are expanding access to MH services. Moreover, the majority of PAs in primary care screen patients for MH disorders, however, fewer initiate/implement treatment. This suggests that enhanced training for primary care PAs could further expand access to MH care.