For-profit versus non-profit freestanding psychiatric inpatient facilities: an update.

Although several studies have examined the trend toward the decreasing differentiation of non-profit from for-profit general hospitals, few have focused on freestanding psychiatric hospitals. This study updates previous research that used psychiatric hospital data from calendar year 1986 with data from 1990. In addition, a preliminary examination of the influence of market competition on the behavior of non-profit psychiatric facilities was conducted. Results confirm a converging trend between for-profit and non-profit facilities that is related, in part, to competition.