Low pay and limited respect have contributed to a “shortage” of psychiatrists in the United States, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Because of low reimbursements, psychiatrists have all but ceded psychotherapy — talk therapy — to other mental health therapists . . . In legislation aimed at improving access to care, U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, who is a psychologist, proposed grants to expand the use of telepsychiatry — providing care via technology — and giving liability protection to mental health professionals who volunteer their services. The Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University has used telepsychiatry to evaluate adults and children — and found that distance is not a barrier to assessing patients.”
