Mental Health Professionals

Psychiatrists

There were 1,649 active psychiatrists licensed to practice in Texas in 2003, ^[36] for a ratio of 7.5 psychiatrists for every 100,000 Texas residents (Table 56).

Sources:  Texas data from Texas State Board of Examiners (2003); U.S. from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions (1999).

• There were 68 psychiatrists in the Texas counties within 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border .  This was 3.0 psychiatrists per 100,000 population for residents living in the Texas Border Counties.  This ratio was lower than the State ratio and the U.S. ratio of 7.5 and 14.2 per 100,000 population, respectively.  There were 4.7 times as many psychiatrists at the national level than there were in the Texas Border Counties .
• There were 299 psychiatrists in the Texas counties within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border .  This was 6.9 psychiatrists per 100,000 population.  There were 2.1 times as many psychiatrists at the national level than there were in the Texas counties within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border .
• When only psychiatrists who provide direct patient care were considered, the ratio of psychiatrists to population dropped to 2.6 per 100,000 in the Texas Border Counties, 5.2 per 100,000 population in the counties within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border , and 5.8 per 100,000 for the State as a whole (Table 56).
• Psychiatrists in the Texas Border Counties who provided direct patient care were primarily Hispanic/Latino(a) (67 percent), with 26 percent of psychiatrists reported as Non-Hispanic White (Table 57).  Non-Hispanic Whites accounted for the majority of psychiatrists in Texas (70 percent), with the exception of the Texas Border Counties.
• While 43 percent of psychiatrists in the Texas Border Counties were approaching retirement age (ages 55 and over) in 2003, 41 percent of the State's psychiatrists were eligible for retirement within the next 10 years (Table 58).
• Males dominated this segment of the physician workforce in the Texas Border Counties and the State with 86 and 70 percent of the psychiatrist workforce, respectively (Table 59).
• Seventy-five percent of psychiatrists in Texas who provided direct patient care reported working 40 or more hours per week (Table 60) compared to 86 percent of physicians statewide that worked 40 or more hours per week (Table 26). 

Psychologists

In 2003, there were 3,173 active psychologists licensed to practice in Texas, for a ratio of 14.4 psychologists for every 100,000 Texas residents (Table 61).

Sources:  Border States includes data from Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners (2004), California Department of Consumer Affairs (2004), New Mexico Health Policy Commission (2003), and Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (2003); U.S. from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions (1999).

• There were 92 psychologists in the Texas counties within 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border .  This was 4.1 psychologists per 100,000 population for residents living in the Texas Border Counties.  The psychologist to population ratio for these counties was lower than the State ratio of 14.4, the Border States ratio of 27, and the U.S. ratio of 28.  There were seven times as many psychologists at the national level than there were in the Texas Border Counties .
• There were 437 psychologists in the Texas counties within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border .  This was 10.0 psychologists per 100,000 population.  There were three times as many psychologists at the national level than there were in the Texas counties within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border .

Social Workers

There were 9,666 active social workers licensed to practice in Texas in 2003, for a ratio of 44 social workers for every 100,000 Texas residents (Table 62).

Sources:  Border States includes data from Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (2004), California Department of Consumer Affairs (2004), New Mexico Health Policy Commission (2003), and Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (2003); U.S. from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions (1999).

• There were 496 social workers in the Texas counties within 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border .  This was 22 social workers per 100,000 population for residents living in the Texas Border Counties.  This ratio was lower than the State (44 per 100,000), Border States (43 per 100,000), and U.S. ratios (36 per 100,000).  There were 1.6 times as many social workers at the national level than there were in the Texas Border Counties .
• There were 1,729 social workers in the Texas counties within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border .  This was 40 social workers per 100,000 population.
• There was some variation in social worker to population ratios across Texas' geographic regions with ratios of 53 per 100,000 in the counties between 62 and 300 miles of the Border, and 33 per 100,000 in the counties m ore than 300 miles from the Border .

In Texas, there were twice as many certified nursing home beds per 10,000 population available in the counties more than 300 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border than there were in the Texas Border Counties.  There were 62 certified nursing home beds available for counties more than 300 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border , 37 certified nursing home beds per 10,000 population in counties within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico Border , and 28 certified nursing home beds in the Texas Border Counties (Table 63).

Statewide, there were 35 licensed hospital beds per 10,000 population in 2004 (Table 64).  The Texas Border Counties had fewer hospital beds than other areas of the State with 27 beds per 10,000 population.