[Compulsory referral to institutionalised psychiatric care and its organizational structure]

Nation-wide German Counseling Review regarding psychiatry in 1975 yielded a reasonable reform of psychiatric care in Germany. Especially outpatient and complementary caring concepts promoted the integration of psychiatric patients in their communities. However, this development was paralled by an increase of involuntary hospitalisations in Northrine-Westphalia. Within ten years involuntary hospitalisations doubled in some communities. These findings contrast with recent concepts of a complex community psychiatry with improved caring according to humanitarian principles and those of non-violence. These specific settings must be taken into consideration in developing community psychiatry. The report presents the activity of the working group concerning community psychiatry in Northrine-Westphalia. During its annual meetings a standardised and valid documentation concerning hospitalisation procedures in the communities as a means of quality control was discussed repeatedly. Taking into consideration the data of this survey the complex mechanisms leading to an increase of involuntary hospitalisations becomes understandable. Health reporting on a community level on the topic of involuntary hospitalisations is an important tool for discussion of its complex psychosocial and administrative mechanisms. Discussion about standard procedures in psychiatric emergency care service will thus be enabled.