For the 15 million American children with a diagnosable mental disorder, psychiatric help can be hard to find. With only 7,000 child psychiatrists practicing nationwide—many of whom split their time between children and adult clients—sessions are short and waiting lists long. As many as two-thirds of kids don't get the care they need.
Pediatricians and child psychologists can fill some gaps, but they are also often overworked. In addition, only child psychiatrists have the combination of specialized medical training and the ability to prescribe drugs that is necessary to treat kids most effectively. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, an additional 23,000 child psychiatrists are needed to fill current demand. About 40,000 psychiatrists are currently practicing in the United States.
Contributing to the shortfall of child psychiatrists, says Gregory Fritz, director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Brown Medical School in Rhode Island, are the two extra years of training required of would-be child psychiatrists and the smaller reimbursements hospitals receive for having them in residence. Furthermore, since visits with young clients take about 50 percent longer than those with adults, insurance companies effectively reimburse psychiatrists working with children at a lower hourly rate.
