Distance Decay Effects in a Swiss Mental Health Services System

Abstract

To investigate psychiatric service use depending on distances (travel times) to inpatient and outpatient service sites. Retrospective cohort analysis of all patients aged 18-64 years who had been treated in a Swiss psychiatric services system in 2022. Outpatient service utilization rates decreased statistically significantly with increasing distance (travel time by public transportation) between the place of residence and the responsible outpatient clinic. For inpatient utilization, the distance decay effects were much less strong and did not always reach a statistically significant level. In an easily accessible and economically reasonable psychiatric services system, inpatient and specialized services should be organized centrally, while general outpatient psychiatric services should be planned decentralized and close to the communities where people live.