Improving access to psychological treatments for common mental disorders is a priority in a number of countries worldwide. We consider the evidence presented by Harris et al on the Australian Better Access initiative, and discuss the challenges of delivering such intitiatives and evaluating their impact. Evidence-based medicine traditionally focuses on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions, but a comprehensive assessment of quality of care also requires consideration of access. In this edition of the Journal, Harris et al use epidemiological methods to evaluate the performance of the Australian Better Access initiative, designed to improve access to psychological therapies for affective and anxiety disorders. Their work is highly relevant to other countries, including the UK, as the National Health Service (NHS) tries to assess the value of the UK Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, which has similar goals.
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