EQUICARES Presents Preliminary Findings on Barriers to Mental Healthcare Access in Europe

We are pleased to share the Draft Levesque Framework with Preliminary Findings on Barriers to Mental Healthcare Access in Europe, developed by our partner Koç University.

Access to mental healthcare remains a major challenge across Europe, with many individuals still facing obstacles despite the existence of services. Building on the widely recognized Levesque Conceptual Framework for Access to Health, KU has conducted a scoping review to better understand how this framework can be applied in the mental health context.

The preliminary findings highlight:

• Persistent inequalities in access to care, shaped by financial, social, cultural, and organizational barriers.

• The importance of both supply-side factors (availability, affordability, acceptability of services) and demand-side factors (individuals’ ability to perceive needs, seek, reach, pay for, and engage with care).

• Gaps in how access dimensions are currently addressed, with issues such as approachability and patient engagement often overlooked in research and practice.

• The need for operational definitions and indicators tailored to mental health that can guide better policy and service design.

These insights are a first step toward developing a draft assessment framework that EQUICARES will refine to support evidence-based improvements in mental healthcare accessibility.

Why This Matters?

These insights are critical for shaping inclusive, resilient, and sustainable policies. They provide evidence for EU and national stakeholders to design interventions that respond to the evolving needs of people in vulnerable situations, including migrants and refugees, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ people, individuals with disabilities, and those living in rural or underserved areas.