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.

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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
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article

Quantifying age-related disparities in outpatient psychotherapy utilization: a representation quotient analysis of routine data from 29 university clinics in Germany

Jens Heider, Andre Pittig, Sylvia Helbig‐Lang, Stephan Bartholdy et al.
BMC Health Services Research
Mental Health Treatment and Access
article

Quantifying age-related disparities in outpatient psychotherapy utilization: a representation quotient analysis of routine data from 29 university clinics in Germany

Jens Heider, Andre Pittig, Sylvia Helbig‐Lang, Stephan Bartholdy, Tobias Teismann, Monika Equit, Jessica Fritz, Ulrike Lueken, Michael Witthöft, Eva‐Lotta Brakemeier, Patrizia Odyniec, Tina In‐Albon, Rudolf Stark, Almut Rudolph, Christiane Hermann, Gabriele Wilz, Antonia Vehlen, Julian Rubel, Anya Pedersen, Brian Schwartz, Anja Riesel, Jürgen Margraf, Marlena L. Itz, Katja Werheid, Tim Klucken, Wolfgang Lutz, Tania M. Lincoln, Andrea Hermann, Thomas Forkmann, Babette Renneberg, Hanna Christiansen, Marcella L. Woud, Nicolas Wrede, Jürgen Hoyer, Lydia Fehm, Ernst Berger, Ulrike Willutzki, Georg W. Alpers, Julia A. Glombiewski, Anke Kirsch, Anne Katrin Risch
article en

Abstract

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.

BMC Health Services ResearchVol. 25(1)
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)
Openalex Percentile: Top 59%
Mental Health Treatment and Access
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