Demand For Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses and Nurse Practitioners

by Kasee Wiesen | Aug 14, 2024 | Blog, Magazine, mental health, Nurse Practitioners | 0 comments

Mental illness is becoming one of the most common health disorders in the United States and worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reveals a 13% increase in reported mental health disorders over the past ten years. When looking specifically at the United States, approximately 1 in 5 Americans experienced mental illness, and 1 in 20 Americans experienced a serious mental illness in 2021. And while over 57.8 million adults experienced mental illness, just under 50% sought out treatment. And of the 14.1 million adults who experienced serious mental illness, about 65% sought out treatment in 2021.

Mental illness does not only affect adults, as 50% of all lifetime mental illness starts by age 14. In 2021, 1 in 6 people between 6-17 years (7.7 million youth) reported experience with a mental health disorder. The second leading cause of death in youth aged 10-14 is suicide.  

In the United States, anxiety is the most reported mental illness, followed by major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Impact Of Mental Health on Overall Well-Being

• Those with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic disorders such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Those with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions.
• Higher unemployment rates among adults with mental illness
• higher dropout rates in high school students with significant symptoms of depression
• In 2021, 33.5% of adults in the United States with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder. 
• 21.1% of people experiencing homelessness have a serious mental health condition
• Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide.

Increasing Need for Psychiatric Nurses

As mentioned above, the WHO reveals a 13% increase in reported mental health disorders over the past ten years, and in 2024, 43% of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year. While there is a noted increase in people diagnosed with mental illness, it is difficult to determine if this is due to the rise in incidence or if people are more comfortable reporting their symptoms and seeking treatment and have more labels to diagnose behaviors. 

Regardless of the reason why we are seeing an increase in mental illness, there is an obvious need for more psychiatric mental health RNs and APRNs. 

On top of having an increase in people diagnosed with mental illness, there is also an access problem in the United States, especially in rural communities. There are currently over 25 million people living in a rural community where there is a shortage of mental health professionals, further supporting the need for more psychiatric mental health RNs and APRNs to help meet this demand. 

Over the past several years, we have seen an increase in mental illness, and it is projected that the number of people seeking treatment will continue to rise. This supports the need for more Psychiatric RNs and APRNs as they can help fill the current void of psychiatric mental health professionals, ensuring the health needs of patients are met and improving the overall well-being of the population.

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2024). American Adults Express Increasing Anxiousness in Annual Poll; Stress and Sleep are Key Factors Impacting Mental Health. Psychiatry.org – American Adults Express Increasing Anxiousness in Annual Poll; Stress and Sleep are Key Factors Imp
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). About mental health. https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm 
3. Foy, C. (2023). Are mental disorders increasing over time? Are Mental Disorders Increasing Over Time? | FHE Health (fherehab.com)
4. National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2024). Mental health by the numbers. https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-by-the-numbers/