In 1986, 2,967 mental health organizations, or 62 percent of all mental health organizations in the United States (including territories), offered psychiatric outpatient care services. A total of 5.6 million patient care episodes were provided by these organized outpatient services. These episodes involved a total of 47 million visits and 2.8 million additions, and represented 69 percent of all psychiatric patient care episodes in organized settings that year. Both the number of organizations with psychiatric outpatient care services and the number of outpatient additions to these organizations increased by approximately 4 percent between 1983-84 and 1986. Multiservice mental health organizations were the most prominent type of mental health organization in the provision of psychiatric outpatient care. They comprised 42 percent of the 2,967 organizations offering this type of care and were responsible for 54 percent of the outpatient additions, 53 percent of the episodes, and 54 percent of the visits. Next in importance were freestanding psychiatric outpatient clinics and separate psychiatric services in non-Federal general hospitals. They accounted for 26 percent and 17 percent, respectively, of organizations providing psychiatric outpatient care. Each provided 12 to 18 percent of outpatient additions, episodes, and visits. Over 90 percent of multiservice mental health organizations and Veterans Administration psychiatric organizations offered outpatient psychiatric care. In contrast, this form of care was offered by only 29 percent of State and county mental hospitals, 36 percent of private psychiatric hospitals, 37 percent of nonFederal general hospitals with psychiatric services, and 23 percent of residential treatment centers for emotionally disturbed children.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)