Factors that influence access to mental health services in South-Eastern Europe.

Introduction: Access to mental health (MH) services is unequal worldwide and changes are required in this respect.

Objectives: Our aim was to identify the delay to the first psychiatry consult and to understand patients' characteristics and perspectives on the factors that may influence the delay, among a sample of participants from three Southeastern European Countries.

Materials And Methods: The WHO Pathway Encounter Form questionnaire was applied in 400 patients "new cases" and a questionnaire on the factors influencing the access was administered to the same patients, as well as to their caretakers and MH providers.