Community Mental Health Services in Britain
Abstract
Although the practice of psychiatry was similar in the United States and Britain during the last century, since then their paths have diverged, especially since the Second World War and the institution in Britain of the National Health Service. The major postwar development in Britain has been in social psychiatry, with particular reference to hospitalized psychotic patients. More recently, plans have been made to close mental hospitals and shift the locus of inpatient care to the general hospital. Projections have been made to provide services on a sector basis, in which teams of psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers serve population groups of 60,000 each and provide outpatient and transitional facilities as well as inpatient care. The author compares the different approaches in the United States and Britain and notes that, while neither can provide an ideal service, both can learn much from the differences.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
