WJTV reported that a VocoVision analysis ranked Mississippi as the nation’s second-worst youth mental health desert, citing provider shortages and rural access barriers.
Report highlights youth mental health access concerns
WJTV reported that Mississippi ranked as the country’s second-worst youth mental health desert in VocoVision’s 2025 Youth Mental Health Care Deserts report. According to WJTV, the report examined children’s mental health care and sought to highlight areas of concern across all states.
WJTV said mental health professionals can be among the only people children are able to talk to. The outlet reported that the VocoVision findings raised concerns about whether that connection is consistently available for young people in Mississippi.
Provider availability and rural barriers
According to WJTV, VocoVision found that Mississippi education departments are dealing with limited provider availability alongside rural populations. WJTV reported that these two factors compound access issues for students in crisis.
The report, as described by WJTV, identified Mississippi as having the tenth most severe provider shortage in the country. WJTV reported that the statewide ratio was one provider for every 543 people.
WJTV’s report did not identify a single cause for the shortage, but it said limited provider availability and rural populations were part of the access challenge identified by VocoVision.
School-based support is also limited
WJTV reported that the ratio of health care providers in Mississippi school systems was even more limited than the statewide provider ratio. According to the outlet, Mississippi has more than 7,500 students for every school psychologist.
WJTV said this was one of the worst school psychologist ratios in the country. The outlet’s report focused on the potential difficulty of connecting students with mental health professionals when support is limited in schools and in communities.
VocoVision is a website that connects employers and jobs with licensed therapy professionals who work remotely, according to WJTV. Its report aimed to draw attention to youth mental health care deserts and differences in access across states.
What this means for Mississippi patients
WJTV’s report points to access challenges that may affect Mississippi families seeking local mental health services. The directory lists 21 published clinics in Mississippi and can help patients look for treatment options near them.
This is general information, not medical advice.
More Mississippi reporting on youth & families.
This report is educational and is not medical advice. Coverage, availability and eligibility can change; verify details with the named source or your care team.