Victimization of the mentally ill: an unintended consequence of deinstitutionalization

Twenty years ago, legal interventions and dramatic advancements in psychopharmacology provided the impetus for a mass exodus from public mental health institutions to community settings. This well-intended move was predicated on the development of a community mental health center network. An unintended consequence, however, is that many deinstitutionalized mentally ill clients have been forced onto the street with little or no treatment. Moreover, a new wave of never treated youth and elderly have joined the street subculture. Without adequate clinical treatment, these people are vulnerable to victimization and to arrest and incarceration. In this article, the history of the problem is reviewed and steps to create a more responsive clinical network to cope with the problem are discussed.