The Growth and Characteristics of the Physician Assistant/Associate Workforce in Psychiatry

According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), more than half of the U.S. population resides in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (MHPSA). To address this crisis, physician assistants/associates (PAs) have emerged as a promising solution, helping to bridge the gap in psychiatric care and improve access to mental health services. Utilizing the 2023 workforce data from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), we examined the demographics, practice settings, and other key attributes of board certified PAs working in psychiatry and compared them to PAs in all other specialties.
In 2023, 2,999 (2.4%) of PAs reported practicing in psychiatry, up from 1,887 (1.8%) in 2020, making psychiatry the fastest-growing specialty in the PA profession. PAs in psychiatry tend to be slightly younger (median age 38 vs. 39), predominantly female (72.9% vs. 70.1%), and more racially diverse compared to PAs in other specialties (all p < 0.001). PAs practicing in the psychiatry discipline are also more likely to complete a postgraduate fellowship or residency (8.1% vs. 5.6%; p < 0.001), provide care in medically underserved areas (31.2% vs. 23.7%; p < 0.001), and hold two or more clinical positions (13.5% vs. 11.4%; p=0.002). Additionally, PAs in psychiatry are more likely to participate in telemedicine (78.0% vs. 41.8%; p < 0.001) and use telemedicine for 40 or more hours per week (13.3% vs. 1.1%; p < 0.001). Understanding the characteristics of the PA psychiatric workforce will enhance our knowledge of their profile and contributions to the overall psychiatric workforce.