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In defense of community mental health

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.134.8.887

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.

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