Am J Psychiatry 1977; 134:887-890
Copyright © 1977 by American Psychiatric Association
In defense of community mental health
J Zusman and HR Lamb
Initial enthusiasm for community mental health has given way to a barrage
of criticism, musch of it deserved. Originated to deal with abysmal
conditions in state hospitals, community mental health focused instead on
primary prevention, political activism, and the mildly mentally ill. The
authors propose a return to the original fundamentals, stressing that the
highest priority be given to community treatment and rehabilitation of the
severely mentally ill.
