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Oklahoma ranks 12 (of 50) for the ratio of mental health providers to residents. Massachusetts reports the highest density at 791.5 per 100,000 residents while Alabama reports 152.2.
The number of psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and advanced practice nurses specializing in mental health care per 100,000 residents in 2024
Source: America’s Health Rankings
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the suicide and crisis hotline. Additional resources, including a treatment facility locator, can be found here.
Having access to mental health services means being able to access professionals specializing in treating and addressing our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
Clinician density in Oklahoma follows the same pattern across all fields, including mental health; the vast majority are in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas. Rural areas face the most barriers to care (See Access to Care in Rural Areas).
While access has rapidly expanded in recent years with the explosion in telehealth, location and cost barriers persist. Video calls require a strong and stable internet connection, and insurance does not always cover telehealth options.
Women are more likely to access mental healthcare. However, healthcare needs are not zero-sum. Societal pressures and stigma play a role in dissuading women from seeking support. These pressures can be rooted further within distinct communities. For example, racial minorities are more likely to avoid seeking mental health care due to fears surrounding racism and discrimination, cultural differences, and language barriers.
LGBTQ+ individuals face unique obstacles as well. Despite indications that LGBTQ+ people present mental health-related needs more often than the general population, the community’s access is limited by fear stemming from family, social circles, and encountering unaccommodating providers.
Most primary care physicians can manage mental illness at the primary care level, in up to 60% of cases. However, they aren’t trained to do this and would often benefit from the ability to consult with mental health clinicians.
Women’s access to mental health care in the perinatal period is substantially impacted by distance to providers and the ability to pay. While qualifying postpartum women can access and remain on Medicaid (called SoonerCare/SoonerSelect in Oklahoma) for one year after giving birth, the time limit places an expiration date on when their healthcare coverage will cease. At the end of that time, women experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety may lose their insurer.
Oklahoma’s statistics on mental health care access are inflated by the number of counselors and therapists. We have critical shortages of providers with prescription capabilities (such as psychiatrists and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners) as well as those with the most education – psychologists.
Additionally, experts warn that these estimates can be misleading. Density reports as featured here are calculated using directories provided by private and public insurers and, in some instances, online directories. Many states do not require provider repositories to be updated regularly to reflect accurate provider information. The term “ghost networks” was coined to describe the phenomenon of provider networks riddled with clinicians who were retired, changed employers, changed accepted insurance, stopped practicing, or even were deceased.
This issue brief was written by Metriarch staff as part of our Data Lookbook. Peer review and contributions provided by Whitney Cipolla with Healthy Minds Policy Initiative.
Suggested citation
Metriarch. “Access to Quality Care,” Data Lookbook (2025). URL: metriarchok.org/access-to-mental-health-services.
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