Is This Fair? Maps of Mental Healthcare Availability

Here in Austin, I-35 is a great dividing line carved through our city and the differences between communities east of the highway and those west of the highway are, to use a tired analogy, like night and day.  I took a peek at some of those differences, focusing on the availability of mental healthcare services.  My exploration gives only a glimpse of a truth but the observations are substantial enough to warrant a more serious look at the accessibility gap.

I entered "psychiatrists austin texas" in the Google Maps search bar to start with and the picture below was the result.  The red dots and bubbles mark the locations Google Maps identified as matching my search criteria.  The number of dots is significantly higher west of I-35 and disconcertingly low east of I-35.  If the population density dropped sharply the difference wouldn't be so worrisome, but it doesn't.

Psychiatrists in Austin, Texas

One picture is hardly conclusive and I changed the search criteria to something a bit broader - "counselors austin texas."  As shown below, Google Maps doesn't identify many counselors on the east side, either.  More to the point, the imbalance in the number of counselors resembles that of psychiatrists.

Counselors in Austin, Texas

Hoping for something better, something more equitable, I created yet another map with even more expansive search criteria.  I typed "mental health services austin texas" in the search bar, hit enter, and saw the following:

Mental Health Services in Austin, Texas

The density of dots increases across the map, both east and west of the highway.  Unfortunately, the disparity between east and west is reiterated.


I know this research isn't thorough enough to support firm conclusions; I'm not suggesting that it is.  Let's be clear on that point.  It does, however, testify to a pattern of inequity and one that is worth delving into.