By 1975 it is envisaged that the number of beds in mental hospitals will be reduced from the present level of 3.3 per thousand of population to about 1.8 per thousand1. It is uncertain whether this considerable reduction will be achieved mainly by a diminution in the numbers of elderly or of younger patients who must remain in mental hospitals. It is, however, clear that it will be practicable ...

BACKGROUND Mental disorders account for a substantial proportion of the total disease burden in China but the number, distribution and characteristics of the mental health professionals available to provide services for mentally ill individuals is unknown. AIM Describe the distribution and characteristics of medical professionals working in mental health facilities around China. METHODS Inf...

Growth of mental asylums in British India was a less conspicuous form of social control which reflected the colonial mindset of the prevailing societal norms.[1] The first lunatic asylum in India was established in Bombay (Mumbai) in the year 1745, followed by Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1784. Subsequently number of such asylums increased significantly and by the year 1947, there were 31 mental hospi...

BACKGROUND Policies generate accountability in that they offer a standard against which government performance can be assessed. A central question of this study is whether ideological imprint left by policy is realized in the time following its adoption. National mental health policy expressly promotes the notion of deinstitutionalization, which mandates that individuals be cared for in the com...

INTRODUCTION A variety of studies have indicated that rural communities have fewer mental health services and professionals than their urban counterparts. This study will examine the shortages of mental health professionals in rural communities as well as the impact of inadequate mental health services access on rural hospitals. METHODS A sample frame of 1162 rural hospitals was compiled, and...

Mental health care is becoming a critical international concern, but developing countries are still straining to attend to the mental health needs of their suffering and stigmatized citizens. This study assessed the situation of mental health care in Ghana, an Anglophone democratic republic in West Africa. For four months, interviews and secondary data were conducted and collected in the Greate...

Introduction Presentation of the HoNOS-Secure French Version, an Outcome Measure for Users of Secure and Forensic Mental Health Services Eytan A*1, Golay D2, Della Polla S2, Hofer F2, Sillitti F2 and Gex-Fabry M3 1Division of General Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland 2Division of Penitentiary Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland 3Division of Ps...

The horrific tragedy at Erwadi has kindled some long overdue discussion (UP, Vol.43: No.4, 2001) on the plight of chronic psychotics in our society. The specific questions to be addressed are: 1. Why do 'patient-care facilities' like the ones at Erwadi come up at all? 2. Could mere strong-arm tactics like forcible closing down of these places, whenever there is a hue and cry in the media solve ...

My typical working week shows just how varied mental health nursing can be. As a GP liaison nurse specialising in mental health, I work from the surgery, hospitals, clinics and other agencies, depending on where the surgery's patients are referred.