RESUMO
The purpose of this study was to survey opinions and to gather data of private psychiatric practitioners in Korea about their quality of life, business environment, and government policy of interest. The questionnaire was composed of 14 categories and 53 questions were administered to approximately 150 private psychiatric practitioners by E-mail and post mail concerning the present state, critique and prediction about their practice, business, and government policy. A total of 47 practitioners responded and we could gather meaningful data. Their responses regarding quality of life and satisfaction as a specialist were "a little" and they had many complaints of lack of income, stress of practice, anxieties of government control, and too much work. They had various adaptation skills to these "bad" situations and asked active plan to Korean Psychiatric Practitioners Association and government for present and future development of practice environment. These results provide meaningful data for understanding private psychiatric practitioners' opinions and behavioral patterns to adapt to their business area, and also suggest present and future direction for development of a medium and long-term plan against government policy and market change. This study will provide the basis for further investigation and projects in the near future.