Trends in Psychiatric Treatment: A Report of a Private Psychiatric Practice

The author analyzes the character of his private practice over a 15-year period (1951-1966) with regard to diagnosis, type of service provided, and length of treatment. The data from 600 patients revealed a shift toward briefer therapy as well as a tendency to avoid hospitalization. Generally, use of dynamic diagnoses proved more satisfactory than use of standard diagnostic categories. The author stresses the value of further studies of private practice, especially because of their potential usefulness in community mental health planning.