Novel hot and cold spots of mental hospital deserts across China using 2019-2022 antidepressant procurement data

Abstract Depression imposes a significant disease burden globally, being considered the second leading cause of disability in China. Therefore, it is worth noting whether patients with depression have sufficient opportunities to access treatment during travel. The minimum-cost path analysis method was employed to calculate travel times from population points to the nearest hospitals providing psychiatric medications, and to distinguish population points as either within or outside hospital deserts. Lastly, Poisson spatial scan analysis was used to identify hot spots and cold spots of hospital deserts. This study elucidates the limited and unequal access to antidepressant medications in China, providing policymakers and stakeholders with valuable insights to formulate effective strategies.