Managed Care and the Mental Health Professions: History and Effects on Outpatient Care

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to offer a brief review of how managed health care companies have affected mental health services. An abbreviated history of these organizations is given followed by a discussion of how they operate to reduce both costs and service utilization. The consequences of their practices on outpatient treatment are then examined. Results indicate that the overall breadth and quality of outpatient services available to the public have been substantially reduced by managed care. Furthermore, clinicians themselves have been harmed by having to accept onerous administrative, economic, and ethical burdens because of managed care policies. The article concludes with suggestions on how to remediate some of these deficits in care and adjust to future challenges.