GEOGRAPHY AND MENTAL-HEALTH - A REVIEW

In our current health care context, characterized by fiscal restraint and decentralization of accountability for health to regional authorit ies, geographic inequities in need, access to care, utilization, and h ealth outcomes will come under increasing scrutiny. Knowledge gained f rom ecological studies about geographic disparities in mental health a re likely to have important implications for policy, program planning, and resource allocations. In light of the growing relevance of the ge ography of mental health, this paper will review (1) selected contribu tions of geographic studies to the field of mental health, (2) common ecologic study approaches used in most geographic studies, (3) key con ceptual and methodological challenges related to the application and i nterpretation of ecologic models in mental health, and (4) the wider p otential of this technique for resource equity. Given the importance o f geography for needs assessment and service planning, it is surprisin g that geographic study designs, which use ecological data, have not r eceived greater attention as an important and viable method of assessi ng population mental health.