Managed care and psychiatric-mental health nursing services: implications for practice

Our current health care system is in a period of major change. To help control rising costs and improve management, health care reforms have been proposed, prompting the rapid development of managed care. The impact of managed care on the psychiatric-mental health system has become quite evident over the past few years with a resultant restriction of services, closing of inpatient units, and shift from inpatient to outpatient care. These cost control measures raise serious concerns regarding the quality and availability of necessary services. Managed care could have a devastating effect on the progress made in mental health treatment over the last 40 years if these issues are not addressed and remedied. The issue of how managed care influences mental health services is addressed, and implications for practice are presented.