Abstract 1
Ch 1. Introduction 17
A. Research Background and Purpose 19
B. Research Design and Method 23
Ch 2. Analyzing Regional Disparities in Social Services Provision Using Causal Maps 29
A. The Characteristics of Causal Mapping and Its Areas of Analysis 31
B. Causal Map Analysis Results 35
C. The Implications and Limits of Causal Map Analysis 55
Ch 3. Decentralization in Nordic Countries and Social Services Disparities 57
A. The Background on Decentralization in Nordic Countries 59
B. Finland's Welfare Service Delivery System and the Role of Its Local Governments 61
C. Regional Disparities in Welfare Services in Finland 73
D. Finland's Policy to Reduce Regional Welfare Disparities 80
E. Conclusion and Implications 86
Ch 4. Measuring the Supply-Demand Gap of Social Services 89
A. Measurement Model 91
B. Measurement Methods 95
C. Current Status of Social Services 99
D. Service Provision Levels 119
E. Anlalyzing the Services Gap 123
F. Analyizing Service Inequality 128
G. The Use of the Analysis 131
Ch 5. Analyzing the Use of Social Services by Region 133
A. Overview of the Analysis 135
B. Data and Method of Analysis 135
C. Results of Analysis 140
D. Chapter Conclusion 151
Ch 6. Recent Trends in Older Population Change by Region and the Analysis of Unequal Provision of Institutional Care 157
A. Overview of the Analysis 159
B. Data and Method of Analysis 159
C. Analysis of the Supply-Demand Gap of Institutional Care for Older Population by Region 163
D. Analysis of a Supply-Demand Gap of Institutional Care Based on Future Older Population Projections 189
E. Chapter Conclusion 215
Ch 7. Analysis of the Gap between the Supply of and Demand for Welfare for Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities by Region 219
A. Overview of the Analysis 221
B. Data and Method of Analysis 222
C. Results of Analysis 224
D. Chapter Conclusion 323
Ch 8. Mental Health Status by Region and the Analysis of Its Regional Disparities 327
A. Introduction 329
B. Research Method 334
C. Results of Analysis 338
D. Chapter Conclusion 358
Ch 9 Conclusion 363
A. Conclusion 365
B. Implications 372
References 377