Beyond the Mental Hospital: Crisis Intervention and Continuity of Care in Trieste. A Four Year Follow-Up Study in a Community Mental Health Centre

Roberto Mezzina and Daniela Vidoni

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 1995, vol. 41, issue 1, 1-20

Abstract: A sample group of 39 new patients with acute and severe crises underwent a 4-year follow-up study at the community mental health center in Trieste (CMHC). The CMHC is a full-time service, open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and is fully integrated into a network of services which has completely replaced the preexisting mental hospital. Evaluation shows: 1) a generally good outcome of the initial crisis; 2) a low relapse rate; 3) a tendency towards favourable long-term outcomes. In terms of practice, voluntary and compulsory hospitalization were avoided in favor of short-term day and night support in the CMHC. There were no suicides, no crimes, no drop-outs. Social adjustment remained unchanged. Accessibility and continuity of care were favored by not separating special crisis services. Instead, crisis intervention was integrated into a comprehensive Mental Health Service offering a wide range of preventive and rehabilitative responses. The study demonstrates that the mental health services in Trieste are able to cope with acute crises without psychiatric hospitalization.

Date: 1995
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:41:y:1995:i:1:p:1-20

DOI: 10.1177/002076409504100101

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