General practitioners are under increasing pressure to deliver high-quality healthcare services to patients. As the population ages the strain on the healthcare system will continue to increase both at the primary- and the specialist care level. A considerable proportion of consultations in general practice are related to mental health, yet there is limited knowledge about the types and intensity of treatment that mental health patients receive, and about the interactions between general practitioners and specialist mental healthcare providers. Moreover, we know too little about variations in the treatments provided, and how this influences patient outcomes. By applying a novel, yet sound methodological approach, we can utilize existing data in a way that allows us to draw causal inferences about current mental healthcare treatment regimes in primary care and investigate the effects of variations in mental healthcare on health and labor market outcomes. The evidence and methodological experiences gained from this project will form an imperative foundation for future research on mental healthcare. The project will expand evidence about the treatment of mental health patients and contribute to safeguarding patient rights by revealing variation in treatments for this patient group and highlighting the consequences.
