Managed Mental Health Care, Suicidal Despair, and Countertransference

Abstract

Managed health care policy has created dramatic changes in current clinical practice, and all too frequently, impacts the overall treatment plan. Clinicians making referrals for emergency hospitalizations can no longer rely on an in-patient, safe, holding environment. Rather the hospital's relationship and stance with managed care insurance providers determines the length of the hospitalization and the case management plan for patients, instead of the patient's need.

Key Words:

• Managed care
• self-mutilation
• substance abuse
• suicide
• countertransference
• counter-reactions