Table 7f. Number and percent distribution of full-time equivalent staff1 in "all other mental health organizations,"2 by staff discipline: United States, selected years, 1972–94

0.3
Staff discipline 1972 1976 1978 1986 1990 1992 1994
Number of FTE staff
All staff 20,774 28,372 33,430 33,430 115,005 149,075 195,018
Patient care staff 14,831 20,414 23,861 23,861 82,224 109,058 102,578
Professional patient care staff 12,879 17,365 20,263 20,263 64,768 80,000 60,738
Psychiatrists 1,815 1,792 1,781 1,781 3,969 4,286 3,554
Other physicians 127 135 83 83 498 437 432
Psychologists3 2,811 4,065 4,565 4,565 9,908 10,605 6,814
Social workers 4,979 6,490 7,593 7,593 19,921 27,586 23,287
Registered nurses 958 1,239 1,355 1,355 5,647 6,369 5,590
Other mental health professionals 1,978 3,354 4,521 4,521 22,218 30,028 20,086
Physical health professionals and assistants 211 290 365 365 2,607 689 975
Other mental health workers 1,952 3,049 3,598 3,598 17,456 29,058 41,840
Administrative, clerical, and maintenance staff 5,942 7,958 9,569 9,569 32,781 40,017 92,440
Percent distribution of FTE staff
All staff 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Patient care staff 71.4 72.0 71.4 71.4 71.5 73.2 52.6
Professional patient care staff 62.0 61.2 60.6 60.6 56.3 53.7 31.1
Psychiatrists 8.7 6.3 5.3 5.3 3.5 2.9 1.8
Other physicians 0.6 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2
Psychologists3 13.5 14.3 13.7 13.7 8.6 7.1 3.5
Social workers 24.0 22.9 22.7 22.7 17.3 18.5 11.9
Registered nurses 4.6 4.4 4.1 4.1 4.9 4.3 2.9
Other mental health professionals 9.5 11.8 13.5 13.5 19.3 20.1 10.3
Physical health professionals and assistants 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 2.3 0.5 0.5
Other mental health workers 9.4 10.7 10.8 10.8 15.2 19.5 21.5
Administrative, clerical, and maintenance staff 28.6 28.0 28.6 28.6 28.5 26.8 47.4

1 The computation of full-time equivalent staff is based on a 40-hour work week.
2 Includes freestanding outpatient psychiatric clinics, partial care, and multiservice mental health organizations.
3 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.

Back to Mental Health 2000