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Residents of Georgia’s Lanier, Murray, and Jeff Davis Counties have reason to celebrate: they top the state in growth of mental health care providers, according to a recent five-year study by Mission Connection. But not all areas fared well, with Irwin County showing the steepest decline in resources.
📰 What’s Happening: A comprehensive analysis by Mission Connection used data from County Health Rankings to evaluate the availability of mental health providers across Georgia. Lanier County saw an impressive 300% growth, followed by Murray and Jeff Davis Counties, both at 200%. These gains are part of Georgia’s overall rise in provider numbers by 35% over the past five years, placing it 12th in the nation. However, Irwin County reported a 50% decrease, raising concerns for its residents.
💡 Why It Matters: Access to mental health care goes beyond just having insurance; it also means having nearby providers available. Even with the Affordable Care Act promoting equal mental health coverage, many areas still face shortages. Across the country, more than 168 million Americans live in places with too few mental health professionals, and Georgia is no different.
📊 Why This Should Catch Your Attention: The disparity among counties reiterates a pressing need for targeted investments and innovative solutions, such as telehealth services, to bridge gaps. Lanier County’s remarkable progress shows that change is possible.
📍 Georgia’s Top Performing Counties:
- Lanier: 300%
- Murray: 200%
- Jeff Davis: 200%
- Barrow: 167%
- Madison: 133%
🚨 Georgia’s Lowest Performing Counties:
- Irwin: -50%
- Burke: -15%
- Randolph: -14%
- Emanuel: -12%
- Polk: -10%
🌎 National Context: Alaska led the U.S. with a 66% increase in mental health providers, followed by Texas (44%) and Virginia (42%). At the opposite end, Oklahoma lagged with an 8% increase.
📢 Take Action: Residents can advocate for better mental health resources in their communities and explore telehealth options where local providers are scarce.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
