Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: This paper summarises our own accumulated experience from developing community-orientated mental health services in England and Italy over the last 20-30 years. From this we have provisionally concluded that the following issues are central to the development of balanced mental health services: a) services need to reflect the priorities of service users and carers; b) evidence supports the need for both hospital and community services; c) services need to be provided close to home; d) some services need to be mobile rather than static; e) interventions need to address both symptoms and disabilities; and f) treatment has to be specific to individual needs. In this paper we consider ten key challenges that often face those trying to develop community-based mental health services: a) dealing with anxiety and uncertainty; b) compensating for a possible lack of structure in community services; c) learning how to initiate new developments; d) managing opposition to change within the mental health system; e) responding to opposition from neighbours; f) negotiating financial obstacles; g) avoiding system rigidities; h) bridging boundaries and barriers; i) maintaining staff morale; and j) creating locally relevant ser- vices rather than seeking "the right answer" from elsewhere.
Source: World Psychiatry
Authors: GRAHAM THORNICROFT, MICHELE TANSELLA, ANN LAW
Institutions: King's College London, University of Verona
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1535953581