Misperceived Effectiveness and the Demand for Psychotherapy

Christopher Roth, Peter Schwardmann () and Egon Tripodi
Additional contact information
Peter Schwardmann: Carnegie Mellon University

No 279, ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series from University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany

Abstract: While psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in treating depression, take-up remains low. In a sample of 1,843 depressed individuals, we document that concerns about effectiveness are top of mind when respondents consider the value of therapy. We then show that the average respondent underestimates the effectiveness of therapy and that an information treatment that corrects this misperception increases participants’ incentivized willingness to pay for therapy. Information affects therapy demand by changing beliefs rather than by shifting attention. Our results suggest that information interventions that target the perceived effectiveness of therapy are a potent tool in combating the ongoing mental health crisis.

Keywords: Mental Health; Depression; Psychotherapy; Beliefs; Effectiveness; Information policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 60 pages
Date: 2024-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp and nep-hea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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https://www.econtribute.de/RePEc/ajk/ajkdps/ECONtribute_279_2024.pdf Second version, 2024 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Misperceived Effectiveness and the Demand for Psychotherapy (2024)
Working Paper: Misperceived Effectiveness and the Demand for Psychotherapy (2024)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ajk:ajkdps:279

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