[Psychoanalysis and psychotherapy management in Austria]

In a study on the psychotherapeutic provision in Austria the participation of the psychoanalysts was also researched. All over Austria there is a lack of psychotherapists in numbers and regionally. Long term psychotherapy except for a few special institutions are free of charge for the client. In private practice however the patients have to pay heavily. Non-medical psychotherapists are not eligible for refunds by the health insurance system. Almost 4/5 of all psychotherapists belong to a non-medical profession (e.g. psychologists). Only about 1/5 are medical doctors who work as psychotherapists on the basis of a therapeutic training. Psychoanalysts in Austria primarily work as psychoanalytic oriented psychotherapists and to a lesser extent as psychoanalysts.