The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has updated its Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including with new information specifically addressed to individuals in the European Economic Area. As described in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, this website utilizes cookies, including for the purpose of offering an optimal online experience and services tailored to your preferences.

Please read the entire Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By closing this message, browsing this website, continuing the navigation, or otherwise continuing to use the APA's websites, you confirm that you understand and accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the utilization of cookies.

×
ArticleNo Access

Recent Developments in the Care, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of the Chronic Mentally Ill in Britain

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.34.2.159

Just as the deinstitutionalization movement has swept the United States in recent years, the effort to provide alternatives to public hospitals has been government policy in Britain for the past 20 years. While problems remain, Britain, which reduced its mental hospital census less than America, has had some success in finding proper community treatment and care for its former hospital patients, especially the chronically disabled. The author describes recent developments in the administration and organization of services for chronic patients and in clinical practice. The effects of new legislation and several government reports on community care are outlined, as are two new experiments in finding community housing for former hospital patients. Developments in biological psychiatry, use of depot neuroleptic therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and industrial therapy are also briefly mentioned.

Access content

To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.