Demand for Behavioral Health Treatment

AbstractIn Chapter 6, elements of the medieval story, along with personal accounts from resident experts and research evidence, are used to focus on two extremes: the immoderate need for treatment (evidenced by the high-reaching prevalence of behavioral health problems among detained and incarcerated persons: clinical need) and the equally immoderate unmet behavioral health needs (chasm between need and treatment use) among incarcerated people. Why is it that so few people with behavioral health needs are receiving behavioral health treatment while incarcerated? This need–service misalignment is explored by examining why residents may rationally not seek services for behavioral health problems even when services are available free of charge. This chapter stresses the importance of the therapeutic union and environment and their attributes.