Managed care and the independent practice of psychology

How has managed care impacted the independent practice of psychology? The present article reports on data from 2 national surveys (from 1996 and 2001) that address this question. Both surveys indicated that managed care was a source of stress, with external constraints, paperwork, and managed care reimbursement being the most highly rated stresses. These stresses had not increased in the 5 years between surveys, and the most recent survey suggested that, overall, psychologists did not report high levels of burnout. However, in contrast to respondents with low managed care involvement, respondents with high managed care caseloads worked longer hours, had more client contact, received less supervision, reported more negative client behaviors, experienced more stress, were less satisfied with their incomes, and scored higher on emotional exhaustion. Implications for burnout are discussed.