As of March 31, 2025, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) data shows that nearly 122.4 million Americans lived in communities or settings designated as mental health care health professional shortage areas (HPSA).  This designation reflects a situation where the residents of a population group, geographic area, or facility have poor access to basic mental health services because too few mental health care practitioners serve the area given the size of the HPSA's population. The HRSA estimates that HPSAs throughout the country would need more than 6,200 additional mental health care practitioners in order to rectify the mental health care shortfall in these communities.

Here is a summary look at the U.S. mental health care shortfall by region (for state-level details, follow the "region" link):

The U.S. Mental Health Care Shortfall by Region

Region	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortfall
Far Western U.S.	1,358	18,603,356	994
Great Lakes	847	21,634,379	923
Great Plains	890	8,830,228	409
Mid-Eastern U.S.	426	6,883,074	453
New England	201	1,812,356	90
Rocky Mountain	326	7,724,602	287
Southeast	1,458	36,452,825	1,987
Southwest	813	18,742,731	937
U.S. Territories	99	1,700,437	122
U.S.	6,418	122,383,988	6,202

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a mental health care shortfall

(2) Population of designated HPSAs

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

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, March 31, 2025 (HRSA)