For people who encounter mental health issues, a perennial question must be answered, namely 'should I think about meds or psychotherapy.' Often, that question is answered for them based on which type of health care provider they see such as a psychologist or therapist vs. a psychiatrist or internist. At Mindsite, we hope to provide tools and features going forward that better educate people about what is best for them when making this critical decision.
Recently, a new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that for people who seek help from a psychiatrist, the emphasis on medication is increasing. Denise Gellene from the LA Times reports that this trend may be driven by insurance reimbursement:
Psychiatrists who said they provided psychotherapy to all of their patients declined to 10.8% in 2004-2005 from 19.1% in 1996-1997, according to the report. Consistent with previous studies, researchers found that patients who paid out-of-pocket, generally the wealthiest patient group, were more likely to receive psychotherapy.
Financial incentives were weighted against psychotherapy, the report said. Reimbursement for a 45- to 50-minute outpatient psychotherapy session was 40.9% lower than reimbursement for three 15-minute medication management visits, the report said, citing a 2003 study. Anticipated changes in Medicare reimbursement are expected to bring payments into closer balance, experts said.
Another interesting section from the article noted:
The report found evidence of a cultural preference for psychotherapy in the Northeast, which Olfson said might be attributable to the influence of Yale University School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, whose faculties are strong proponents of psychotherapy.