Background Waiting times are an important barrier to timely obtaining appropriate mental health care in Flanders, but structural data is limited.
Aim To describe the waiting time problem in Flanders and propose some causal hypotheses and possible interventions.
Method An exploration of the available waiting time data, supplemented with literature and insights based on the results of some Flemish Centers for Mental Healthcare.
Results Waiting times are especially problematic for subsidized outpatient care and care for children and youth, although the current data provide an incomplete picture. Besides capacity, important factors are the organization of the intake (e.g. assessment) and flow parameters (e.g. mean treatment duration - and intensity).
Conclusion Eliminating waiting lists is one of the greatest challenges for Flemish mental health care. There is a need to expand capacity as well as the smarter use of existing capacity and resources. A joint multi-level approach is required.