Mental Health Care Access

Lack of access to mental health can lead to a range of negative outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Problems accessing appropriate care can lead to a delay in treatment, worsening of symptoms, an increase in substance use or abuse, an increase in self-harming behaviors, and poor social, school, or professional outcomes.

One of the major challenges to mental health access is the lack of available providers, especially in rural areas. This can lead to long wait times or difficulty finding specializations for specific mental health conditions. In Bulloch County, there is approximately one provider for every 814 people. This is below the average for the State of Georgia, at 560 people per provider, but better than other local communities. For this measure, fewer people per provider is better than higher ratios.