Table 7. Number and percent distribution of full-time equivalent staff1 in all mental health organizations by staff discipline: United States, selected years, 1972–942

Staff discipline 1972 1976 1978 198623 1990 1992 1994
Number of FTE staff
All staff 375,984 373,969 430,051 494,515 563,619 585,972 577,669
Patient care staff 241,265 251,756 292,699 346,630 415,719 432,866 370,635
Professional patient care staff 100,886 117,190 153,598 232,481 273,374 305,988 225,250
Psychiatrists 12,938 12,896 14,492 17,874 18,818 22,803 20,242
Other physicians 3,991 3,055 3,034 3,868 3,865 3,949 2,692
Psychologists4 9,443 10,587 16,501 20,210 22,825 25,000 14,050
Social workers 17,687 18,927 28,125 40,951 53,375 57,136 41,326
Registered nurses 31,110 33,981 42,399 66,180 77,635 78,588 82,620
Other mental health professionals 17,514 27,977 39,363 56,245 84,071 102,162 57,982
Physical health professionals and assistants 8,203 9,767 9,684 27,153 12,785 16,350 6,338
Other mental health workers 140,379 134,566 139,101 114,149 142,345 126,878 145,385
Administrative, clerical, and maintenance staff 134,719 122,213 137,352 147,885 147,900 153,106 207,034
Percent distribution of FTE staff
All staff 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Patient care staff 64.2 67.3 68.1 70.1 73.8 73.9 64.2
Professional patient care staff 26.8 31.3 35.7 47.0 48.5 52.2 39.0
Psychiatrists 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.6 3.3 3.9 3.5
Other physicians 1.1 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.5
Psychologists4 2.5 2.8 3.8 4.1 4.0 4.3 2.4
Social workers 4.7 5.1 6.5 8.3 9.5 9.8 7.2
Registered nurses 8.3 9.1 9.9 13.4 13.8 13.4 14.3
Other mental health professionals 4.7 7.5 9.2 11.4 14.9 17.4 10.0
Physical health professionals and assistants 2.2 2.6 2.3 5.5 2.3 2.8 1.1
Other mental health workers 37.3 36.0 32.3 23.1 25.3 21.7 25.2
Administrative, clerical, and maintenance staff 35.8 32.7 31.9 29.9 26.2 26.1 35.8

Sources: Published and unpublished inventory data from the Survey and Analysis Branch, Division of State and Community Systems Development, Center for Mental Health Services.
1 The computation of full-time equivalent staff is based on a 40-hour work week.
2 For 1986 some organizations had been reclassified as a result of changes in reporting procedures and definitions.
3 Includes data for CMHCs in 1978. In 1986, 1990, 1992, and 1994, these staff are subsumed under other organization types. Data for CMHCs are not shown separately.
4 For 1972–78, this category included all psychologists with a B. A. degree and above; for 1986–94, it included only psychologists with an M. A. degree and above.

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