Accepted | American Psychologist

Two Dimensions of Access: Availability and Affordability of Mental Health Care

Using data from over 460,000 therapists, this study shows that mental health access in the U.S. is shaped by both provider availability and affordability, revealing that many communities face dual barriers even when providers are present.

Map figure showing two dimensions of access to mental health care

At a Glance

Project overview

Authors

Park et al.

Year

2026

Methods

Large-scale therapist directory analysis, geographic mapping, and access classification across U.S. communities.

Contribution

Introduces a dual-framework view of mental health access by separating provider presence from affordability, showing why some communities remain underserved even when clinicians are nearby.

View paper Back to publications

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Other research directions

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