Psychiatrists in private practice have contributed more to treating the
mentally ill in America than is generally known. The private practice
sector may be viewed as a massive national outpatient and inpatient service
for the mentally ill. The impact of national health insurance on the future
character of the private practice of psychiatry and the thorny problems to
be resolved are discussed and compared with the experiences of England, the
Soviet Union, and China. Future trends will most likely include increased
emphasis on adjuvant techniques, greater emphasis on resident training in
general psychiatry, briefer forms of therapy, and psychiatry's return to
the medical model.Abstract Teaser