Quantifying age-related disparities in outpatient psychotherapy utilization: a representation quotient analysis of routine data from 29 university clinics in Germany
This study demonstrates the utility of representation quotients for systematically identifying and quantifying age-related disparities in psychotherapy utilization based on routine care data. Our analyses of large-scale data from university outpatient clinics in Germany revealed a marked underrepresentation of older adults in this setting. These findings highlight the need to improve access to, and utilization of, psychotherapeutic services for older adults.
Authors
- Jens Heider (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8343-6608)
- Andre Pittig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3787-9576)
- Sylvia Helbig‐Lang
- Stephan Bartholdy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1532-410X)
- Tobias Teismann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6498-7356)
- Monika Equit (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7213-5962)
- Jessica Fritz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6342-0892)
- Ulrike Lueken (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1564-4012)
- Michael Witthöft (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4928-4222)
- Eva‐Lotta Brakemeier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9589-3697)
- Patrizia Odyniec (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9444-7473)
- Tina In‐Albon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2070-8458)
- Rudolf Stark (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4299-5280)
- Almut Rudolph (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2887-7168)
- Christiane Hermann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5969-2898)
- Gabriele Wilz
- Antonia Vehlen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6019-3161)
- Julian Rubel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9625-6611)
- Anya Pedersen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5346-4234)
- Brian Schwartz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4695-4953)
- Anja Riesel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1902-6644)
- Jürgen Margraf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5207-7016)
- Marlena L. Itz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1247-0099)
- Katja Werheid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8087-5752)
- Tim Klucken (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2433-6652)
- Wolfgang Lutz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5141-3847)
- Tania M. Lincoln (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6674-2440)
- Andrea Hermann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3186-7777)
- Thomas Forkmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9942-2016)
- Babette Renneberg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2177-3566)
- Hanna Christiansen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8104-0711)
- Marcella L. Woud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4974-505X)
- Nicolas Wrede (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1806-9589)
- Jürgen Hoyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1697-6732)
- Lydia Fehm (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0825-8466)
- Ernst Berger
- Ulrike Willutzki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0149-4554)
- Georg W. Alpers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9896-5158)
- Julia A. Glombiewski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8037-398X)
- Anke Kirsch
- Anne Katrin Risch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8513-640X)
Institutions
- Technische Hochschule Mannheim (DE)
- Trier University of Applied Sciences (DE)
- University of Kaiserslautern (DE)
- Witten/Herdecke University (DE)
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- Philipps University of Marburg (DE)
- Osnabrück University (DE)
- University of Mannheim (DE)
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
- Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (DE)
- Bielefeld University (DE)
- Hochschule Bielefeld (DE)
- University of Siegen (DE)
- Universitätsmedizin Greifswald (DE)
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
- German Center for Infection Research (DE)
- Institut für Sozialforschung und Sozialwirtschaft (DE)
- Jena University Hospital (DE)
- GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (DE)
- Hochschule Osnabrück (DE)
- University of Duisburg-Essen (DE)
- University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern (DE)
- University of Göttingen (DE)
- Freie Universität Berlin (DE)
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE)
- Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
- Universität Trier (DE)
- Ruhr University Bochum (DE)
- Saarland University (DE)
- Leipzig University (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Health Services Research
- Published
- 2025-11-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-13714-5
- Primary Topic
- Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00