Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Roger Prudon
Author-Name-First: Roger
Author-Name-Last: Prudon
Title: (Not) Talking Through Mental Health Problems
Abstract: To increase the uptake of mental health care and reduce the burden of mental<br/>health, many countries have introduced programs offering easily accessible talk<br/>therapy. Despite their widespread introduction and continued expansion, causal evidence on these programs’ effectiveness s is lacking. I estimate the impact of a Dutch program that introduced talk therapy provided by nurse practitioners at GP practices nationwide. The reform increased talk therapy uptake by 6 percentage points among individuals seeking care but also widened existing disparities in care utilization. The increased take-up of talk therapy did not significantly improve the health and employment outcomes of patients.
Creation-Date: 2026
File-URL: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/lums/economics/working-papers/LancasterWP2026_001.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
Number: 439877487
Classification-JEL: 
Keywords: Mental Health Care, Talk Therapy, Employment, Health Care Inequalities
Handle: RePEc:lan:wpaper:439877487