Title: Psychologists seek authority to prescribe psychotropic medications - The Washington Post
Headings: 

Content: Psychologists seek authority to prescribe psychotropic medications - The Washington Post
Correction: An earlier version of this article referred to research that may be out of date. That reference has been removed. By Michelle Andrews
March 21, 2011
In any given year, more than a quarter of U.S. adults have a diagnosable mental health problem — from depression to bipolar disorder — yet fewer than half get any kind of treatment for it. The figures are similar for children. Many who do receive care get it through their primary-care physician rather than a mental health professional like a psychiatrist or psychologist. That’s partly by choice: People prefer to talk to someone they know and trust about medical problems, and for many, there’s still a stigma in seeing a “shrink.” But part of the reason people turn to their primary-care doctors or go without care is that it can be tough to get an appointment with a mental health expert. Psychiatrists, in particular, are in short supply, especially in rural areas.