The public image of the mentally ill and community care

Transferring the care of mentally ill patients to the community is not a new initiative. The first comprehensive Hospital Plan by the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS, 1962) recognized and recommended that areas of health care which did not need to take place in hospital should be carried out in the community. Some 30 years later, this transition is taking place. This transition has not been a smooth process and in certain cases it has failed. The public image of mental illness has played a significant role in delaying the transfer of care to the community, although this is not the sole hindering factor. Poor liaison between health and social services, closure of hospitals before development of community facilities, inadequate community support and resources, and sensationalized media coverage have all been cited. Community care of mentally ill patients is a reality and it has been demonstrated that it can be well planned and properly funded (Faugier, 1993). Rather than dwelling on the shortcomings surrounding the implementation of community care, the way forward is to learn from mistakes and to identify means of increasing public acceptance of people suffering from mental illness.