Olfson M, Pincus H A
College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City.
Health Aff (Millwood). 1994 Winter;13(5):172-80. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.13.5.172.
A standard definition of outpatient mental health care does not now exist. Data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey are used to examine how varying the definition influences utilization estimates. A broad definition of mental health care, which requires purchase of a psychotropic medication or a psychotherapy visit or a visit for a mental health condition, captures nearly seven times as many persons as a definition that requires a visit to a mental health specialist for a mental health condition and either purchase of a psychotropic medication or psychotherapy. Because estimates of mental health service use are highly sensitive to how treatment is defined, caution should be exercised in evaluating mental health utilization data.
目前尚无门诊心理健康护理的标准定义。利用1987年国家医疗支出调查的数据来研究定义的变化如何影响利用率估计。心理健康护理的广义定义，即需要购买精神药物、进行心理治疗或因心理健康状况就诊，涵盖的人数几乎是要求因心理健康状况就诊于心理健康专家并购买精神药物或进行心理治疗的定义所涵盖人数的七倍。由于心理健康服务使用的估计对治疗的定义高度敏感，因此在评估心理健康利用率数据时应谨慎行事。
