Privatization of psychiatric services.
The authors provide an overview of privatization, a major trend in mental health policy, focusing in particular on the reasons for and consequences of substantial growth and change in ownership of private psychiatric hospitals; the proportion of all nonfederal psychiatric inpatient beds in private facilities has increased from less than 10% in 1970 to 35% today. It is estimated that between 1970 and 1986, the proportion of total nonfederal psychiatric inpatient beds in the United States that were under corporate for-profit auspices increased from about 1% to 15%. The authors distinguish and examine several aspects of privatization and assess the implications of these changes for psychiatry and for public policy and research.
Dorwart
R A
RA
Harvard University Division of Health Policy Research and Education, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, MA 02138.
Schlesinger
M
M
D004469:Economics, Hospital / Q000639:trends; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006777:Hospitals, Proprietary / Q000458:organization & administration; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010067:Ownership; D011332:Privatization; D014481:United States