PATTERNS OF MENTAL-HEALTH-SERVICE UTILIZATION

How many and which individuals, with which psychiatric disorders, rece ive (and do not receive) mental health services from which professiona ls in what settings? This question falls within the purview of mental health services research, which is a multidisciplinary field that brin gs together the methodologies of epidemiology, econometrics, and clini cal research. First, in this article, we present an explication of wha t is known about those individuals in need of psychotherapy and how th ey access services. Next, we describe the numbers, professional affili ations, and service sites of professionals who are engaged in the prac tice of psychotherapy. We summarize our current knowledge about: the a ctual utilization of psychotherapy services relative to the needs of p atients and the professional background of therapists. Finally, we ide ntify aspects of psychotherapy service utilization chat are, as yet, u naddressed.