Engagement in Mental Health Services

Mental health service engagement has been the focus of extensive research. The concept of service (dis)engagement lacks a uniform definition and methods of measurement. It may encompass appointment attendance and nonattendance, the therapeutic alliance, and, most commonly, premature discontinuation of care. Factors associated with disengagement (e.g., demographic, clinical, and program related) have varied by study, including investigation of similar disorders and treatment models. Additional factors to consider are the quality and type of engagement. For example, not all research has conceptualized more engagement as better; indeed, some interventions have been designed to reduce in-person service use and, particularly, acute care use.

This collection examines research on service engagement, with a focus on patient, provider, and program factors influencing engagement and patient/provider perspectives. Included articles span various populations and mental health services. Although there is comparatively little literature on interventions targeting service engagement, digital tools demonstrate promise and are likely to be a growing research focus.