Return to the asylum: the search for clients with enduring mental health problems in Italy

Deinstitutionalization and community care were the most influential movements in the field of mental health in the last 30 years. In 1978 Italy was the first country to pass laws that would eliminate mental hospitals and replace them with community-based services. Italian ideas about community care provided inspiration for care in the community legislation when this was introduced in the UK. In order to be able to fairly assess and describe the benefits of Italian mental health care, the author visited a range of care facilities in a prescribed region in the north of Italy. In the course of investigation, the author sought to discover if the implementation of what were regarded by some as radical community attitudes in the care of people with mental health problems had led to innovative approaches when dealing with patients/clients requiring long-term care and treatment. Although the Italian approach is enlightened in many areas of care, the system still has to face up to the problems presented in caring for clients/patients with enduring mental health problems. The circumstances relating to care were unexpected and caused the author to revise his opinion of the Italian approach to community care.