In their new JAMA Psychiatry Viewpoint, “Toward a New Standard in Inpatient Psychiatry — Integration of Clinical Psychologists,” authors Sarah Kopelovich, PhD, ABPP, and Adam Kuczynski, PhD, make a compelling case that integrating psychologists into inpatient psychiatric care is not only clinically advantageous — it is essential.
 
The U.S. mental health system remains fragmented and underfunded, and nowhere is this more evident than in inpatient psychiatry. Although total mental health spending has more than tripled since 1986—from $32 billion to $106 billion—the proportion allocated to inpatient care has dropped from 42% to 28%. This decline has led to chronic underinvestment, staffing shortages, and treatment models that prioritize acute stabilization over the psychosocial factors that drive and sustain recovery.
 
Drs. Kopelovich and Kuczynski argue that the absence of psychologists from most inpatient teams (present in fewer than 30% of U.S. units) is a missed opportunity. Psychologists bring expertise in evidence-based psychotherapy, behavioral planning, psychological assessment, and discharge planning — skills that complement the work of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, and occupational therapists to enhance patient care and team functioning.
 
Research demonstrates that integrating psychologists into inpatient care improves outcomes such as depression, anxiety, suicidality, and functional recovery; facilitates smoother transitions to outpatient treatment; reduces readmissions; and enhances staff wellbeing. These benefits directly advance the quadruple aim of healthcare: improving patient and practitioner experience, health outcomes, and cost efficiency.
 
The authors call for greater investment in research, advocacy, and reimbursement reform to support systematic integration of psychologists in inpatient psychiatry. 
 
Read their article at JAMA Psychiatry to understand how reenvisioning inpatient care to fully integrate psychology is not merely idealistic — it is evidence-based, cost-effective, feasible, and overdue.