[Community-based psychiatry--the Swedish model]

Community based psychiatry is a working principle that has been accepted by the whole Western world. This standard has shown to be very efficient. Many patients basically treated in the community manage to rehabilitate in shorter time and reach a higher level of socialization or working skills compared to those treated as in patients. However, in treatment of chronic patients possibilities for returning of working skills were insignificant. The ambitions of the therapist should then be aimed towards some lower level, for example, to support the patients in performing basic functions of daily living to improve their quality of life. Evaluation of community based psychiatry has also showed better results in terms of economy, and what is most important, that the patients did not become institutionalized, which in principle is hampering independence.