Psychiatrists in demand, but what about the money?
Psychiatry is the hot medical specialty of the coming decade, according to a July 1 piece in USA Today.
Merritt Hawkins, a national physician recruiting firm, reported receiving 179 requests for psychiatrists, according to the paper. That’s a blowout 121% increase from the firm’s 2006-2007 survey.
Psychiatrists were the third most requested physician after family practice doctors and internists. And the U.S. Bureau of Health Professions is forecasting a 100% rise in demand for psychiatrists by 2020.
But there’s a downside for those who opt for psychiatry, according to those already in the profession: Less income potential. Apparently that’s largely due to the “move-’em-on-through” philosophy of much of the medical profession.
Psychiatry, on the other hand, normally requires more patient contact.
“I get paid more for treating a zit than I get for sitting down for a half an hour talking to a patient,” one psychiatrist grumbled.
* * * * *
Is mental illness over-diagnosed? A July 6 piece in Psychiatric Times raises the question, and it’s getting attention on mental health web listervs.
One study found that half of the general population qualifies for an anxiety disorder by the age of 32. Forty percent have diagnosable depression, and 30% qualify for alcohol dependence.
In, Normality Is An Endangered Species: Psychiatric Fads and Overdiagnosis, physician author Allen Frances asks: “Imagine what the rates will be like by the time these people hit fifty, or sixty-five, or eighty. In this brave new world of psychiatric overdiagnosis, will anyone get through life without a mental disorder?”
The full article is available at the Psychiatric Times website (free registration required).
I have little sympathy for the psychiatry who complains about his/her income. Primary care physicians make much less on average than the typical psychiatrist and must fill a variety of roles in their daily grind. Psychiatrists, largely due to being in high demand, can skip insurance panels and charge top dollar in cash. Primary care physicians rarely have that luxury. Yes, psychiatrists have largely become pill pushers and that is why they (and ARNPs) are in such high demand. Forget about best practices! While psychiatrists are earning incomes upwards of $200K, the rest of the mental health professionals are lucky to make upwards of $60K. While psychiatrist salaries are climbing, Clinical SWs and Psychologist incomes are declining, the latter attributed by some to the “feminization” of the profession and the former to a lack of advocacy. It’s apparent that in spite of the investment in research and training of evidenced based practices, the value given the ones providing the psychotherapy, actually delivering the best practice, is being devalued in the marketplace. So, psychiatrists need not complain about their income. They need to focus on advocating for application of best practices in mental health and, perhaps, expanding their role beyond prescribing.
Comment by Ana — July 10, 2010 @ 1:37 pm