Deinstitutionalization in the Absence of Consensus
Abstract
The process of deinstitutionalization began almost unnoticed in 1955 as state hospital populations started to decline, and it proceeded without adequate planning and without development of a social consensus. The inevitable result was strong criticism, severe personal dislocations, and, with rare exceptions, programmatic chaos. The authors trace and describe the reasons for the growing polarizatian about deinstitutionalization among such groups as mental health professionals, public officials, families, advocacy groups, citizens, and unions. They also note that between 1950 and 1970 the total institutionalized population in the U.S. was not reduced but simply shifted. Deinstitutionalization should focus not on the location of care but on the broader problem of improving the lot of persons with chronic illness, regardless of its cause or time of onset, the authors suggest. They outline the basic elements ofa service and financing system to meet both the daily-living and the specifically medical needs of the chronically ill.
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.).