This review presents the evidence and the arguments for a balanced. cmmunity-based model of mental health care that includes both cmmunity and hospital services. This model is proposed because it supported by the best available research evidence and by the weight clinical experience in a range of locations worldwide. Within this general model, the specific nature of care will depend to a large extent on the resources available. Countries with low levels of resources should focus on establishing and improving services in primary care settings, along with specialist back-up. For countries with medium levels of resources, it is recommended, in addition to such primary re mental health, that ‘mainstream’ mental health care is provided with a series of related components : out-patient/ambulatory clinics, community mental health teams, acute in-patient care, long-term community based residential care and occupation/day re. For countries with high levels of resources, it is suggested that vices include all those indicated above, along with various types of evidence based specialised /differentiated care : specialised out patient/ambulatory clinics, specialised community mental health cams, assertive community treatment teams, early interventions teams, alternatives to acute in-patient care, alternative types of long term community residential care, and alternative forms of occupation and vocational rehabilitation.
G.Thornicroft, M. Tansella : INTEGRATION OF SERVICES IN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CARE
Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM), Health Service search Department, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK, Department of Medicine and Public Health, Section Psychiatry, University of Verona, Italy_ in WORLD PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS