The availability of therapy and therapists: the stepped care model as a possible solution

This article sets out to provide information regarding the evidence base for psychological treatments and to demonstrate that the number of mental health professionals who are available and competent to deliver these treatments is very small compared with the numbers of people who might benefit. The article also considers the prevalence of conditions that are amenable to psychological treatment and then explores how ‘stepped care’ may be one solution for providing available treatment resources in a way that is fairest and most effective for the population at large.