With dramatic changes in the policies and practices of
marketing healthcare to the public, providers of mental health services
are being forced to consider strategies for more effectively and competitively
promoting their services. Little empirical information relating to
the manner in which prospective clients choose such services in a competitive,
and often confusing, marketplace is currently available. The
purpose of this study was to explore search strategies that might be used
by consumers to identify potential providers of mental health services.
In the present study, young adults were asked to rate the likelihood of using
each of 19 empirically-derived sources of information in selecting a
mental health provider. Factor analysis, as well as descriptive item analyses,
suggest that, as is the case with certain other health care decision-
making situations, consumers are most likely to depend on personal
sources of information such as physician referrals and recommendations
from friends and co-workers. In addition, several sources converge to
suggest the importance to providers of establishing relationships with
other professionals and with institutions in order to successfully market
their services. Patterns of responses, including gender differences