Psychiatric practice in Umbria: research and transformation processes in the light of juridical-prescriptive events

The present paper provides a synthetic account of the process of renewal and transformation of psychiatric care in Umbria, and, more specifically, in Perugia, in the last two decades. In the first part we attempt to show that the significance assigned to the normative aspect in the framework of psychiatric care in Italy has been excessive, particularly in the last few years. In the second, we try to give an account of the psychiatric work done in Umbria. We deal first with the period preceding the passing of Law no. 180 by the Italian Parliament; then we discuss the relationship between the new law and the processes in action; finally, we consider more recent problems concerning the attempts to promote a psychiatric counter-reformation and the theory and practice of our work.