Understanding inequalities in access to adult mental health services in the UK: a systematic mapping review.

Background: Population groups experience differential access to timely and high-quality mental healthcare. Despite efforts of recent UK policies to improve the accessibility of mental health services, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of inequalities in access to services needed to do this. This systematic mapping review aimed to address this gap by identifying which population groups continue to be poorly served by access to adult mental health services in the UK, how access has been measured, and what research methods have been applied.