In fact, the availability of mental health care for kids nationally is sorely lacking.
A significant factor limiting access to mental health care in Nigeria is limited availability of mental health specialists.
"The availability of mental health care providers with specific expertise in this is scant around the country," said Dr. Eth, a New York psychiatrist.
The availability of mental health care in the US remains woefully inadequate to handle current demand, never mind a potential influx of new patients.
Ms. Childress, the agency spokeswoman, said the Palo Alto V.A. was committed to improving the quality and availability of mental health care.
Sharfstein said the most lamentable aspect of the crises is that policymakers know which approaches make a difference, such as medically assisted treatment for drug abusers and increased availability of mental health services in states where they are lacking.
"The intention was to draw attention to some of the issues men tell us they encounter and to follow this up by highlighting in particular the availability of mental health and welfare support which we know men are sometimes reluctant to access".
Reduced availability of mental health support services, because of cuts to local government budgets, is behind a rise in people sleeping rough who have mental health problems; 40% of rough sleepers have some kind of mental health problem, according to a St Mungo's report.
He continued: "The intention was to draw attention to some of the issues men tell us they encounter and to follow this up by highlighting in particular the availability of mental health and welfare support which we know men are sometimes reluctant to access.
Long waitlists and limited availability of mental health providers were the most frequent barriers to treatment.
Discussions with pediatricians suggest that one of the greatest barriers to screening is the limited availability of mental health referral sources.
