BEHAVIOR-THERAPY AND MANAGED MENTAL-HEALTH-CARE - INTEGRATING EFFECTIVENESS AND ECONOMICS IN MENTAL-HEALTH PRACTICE

In this article we consider similarities and differences between the philosophy, early development, goals, and practices of behavior therapy and those of managed mental health care. Among the similarities are: an emphasis on individual responsibility and self-mastery, a focus on wellness rather than on psychopathology, the interrelatedness of medical and mental health needs, a concern for prevention, the need to attend to a wide variety of problems in context, and the requirements for time-limited interventions and role flexibility in practice. Several ways in which behavior therapy can contribute to the development of mental health services in the present era of financial management and restraint are discussed. It is argued that behavior therapy and assessment principles and practices can serve as a basis for integrating effectiveness and economics in mental health practice.