The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) designates a geographic area, population group, or facility where access to mental health care is substandard as a mental health HPSA (health professional shortage area). This designation can be based on the size of the HPSA's population relative to either (a) the number of psychiatrists that service the area, or (b) the combined number of psychiatrists and certain other types of mental health care providers that serve the community. Currently, most mental health HPSA designations are based on population size relative to the number of psychiatrists serving the community.

As of December 31, 2022, mental health care HPSAs in the six-state Far West region had 23.6 million residents, accounting for about 14.9% of the U.S. population who lived in mental health care shortage areas.  To eliminate the shortage, the HRSA estimates that Far West HPSAs would need 1,225 additional mental health care providers.  Further examination of HRSA data reveals the following state-level details about the Far West's mental health care shortage:

The Far West's Mental Health Care Shortage

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
AK	322	419,792	21
CA	608	13,121,872	673
HI	32	496,429	28
NV	62	4,012,818	235
OR	141	2,392,363	114
WA	187	3,206,169	154
Region	1,352	23,649,443	1,225
U.S.	6,599	158,413,168	7,957
% of U.S.	20.5%	14.9%	15.4%

(1) Designated Geographic, Population Group, and Facility HPSAs with a mental health care shortage

(2) Population of designated HPSAs

(3) Mental Health Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 12/31/22 (HRSA)