Patterns of adult psychotherapy in psychiatric practice

Psychotherapy has long been recognized as a key component of psychiatric care. However, concerns have been raised about access to psychotherapy as a result of changes in the financing and management of care. This study examined patterns and predictors of receipt of psychotherapy among patients of psychiatrists.

Data were collected for 587 psychiatrists who participated in the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education's Practice Research Network 1999 Study of Psychiatric Patients and Treatments, which generated nationally representative data for 1,589 adult patients.

Findings indicate that more than 66 percent of patients of psychiatrists received some form of psychotherapy from the psychiatrist or another provider in the past 30 days--56 percent from their psychiatrist and 10 percent from another clinician. Although 72 percent of patients with depression received psychotherapy, more than half of those with schizophrenia did not.

A majority of patients of psychiatrists received psychotherapy from their psychiatrist. However, these rates varied by demographic, diagnostic, and health plan characteristics and by practice setting. Further research determining if these observed patterns of psychotherapy are related to differential outcomes is needed.