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.Abstract Teaser