Gov. Maura Healey (D-Mass.), left, and Lisa Dailey, executive director, Treatment Advocacy Center | Mass.gov / LinkedIn
Gov. Maura Healey (D-Mass.), left, and Lisa Dailey, executive director, Treatment Advocacy Center | Mass.gov / LinkedIn
Massachusetts ranked 29th among 50 states plus the District of Columbia for the number of psychiatric beds per 100,000 people.
That’s according to an analysis of psychiatric beds in the state conducted by the Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC).
The TAC report found that, “in 2023, Massachusetts had 9.5 psychiatric beds per 100,000 population.”
That number is well below the 40 to 60 beds per 100,000 that TAC said is the “recommended minimum” for states. The TAC report said psychiatric bed availability has been consistently declining since the 1950s.
“In 1955, the country had 340 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people. By 2016, that number had fallen to 11.7 per 100,000, leaving many individuals with severe mental illness without adequate inpatient care options,” said the report.
Founded in 1998, the TAC is a nonprofit organization based in Arlington, Va., that focuses on mental health policy and research related to serious mental illness.
A report from the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum found that Massachusetts has 2,761 licensed psychiatric inpatient beds, serving approximately 74,000 psychiatric inpatient admissions per year. Despite these numbers, the state’s bed-to-population ratio remains insufficient to meet service demands.
Additionally, a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that in 2019, Massachusetts had a state hospital utilization rate of 0.29 per 1,000 population—lower than the national average of 0.41 per 1,000. This suggests that even with a relatively high number of psychiatric beds compared to some other states, Massachusetts still faces challenges in meeting the inpatient mental health care needs of its residents.
The shortage of psychiatric beds contributes to long wait times for mental health treatment, increased reliance on emergency departments for psychiatric crises, and difficulties in ensuring timely care for individuals with severe mental illness.
Where does Massachusetts rank in psychiatric beds per 100,000 people?
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