Communities should do more in mental health care
Communities should do more in mental health care newspress_en Wed, 10/14/2026 - 19:10 Opinion In recent decades, many countries have made meaningful progress in developing community-based mental health services. Moreover, rights-based approaches have gained traction as people with lived experience increasingly have a voice in shaping mental health policy and services. These developments have…
Many people with mental health conditions continue to reside in psychiatric hospitals and institutions worldwide, often without their consent and stripped of basic daily choices. Despite progress in community-based mental health services over recent decades, a significant portion of public mental health funding still goes towards maintaining large facilities, while access to community care remains insufficient.
Sri Lanka serves as a model for mental health reform, having transitioned from isolated institutions to a decentralized network of district and community services over the past two decades. The focus is on promoting human rights, dignity, and personal autonomy in mental health care, enabling people to live independently and participate fully in society.
Deinstitutionalisation involves more than just reducing hospital beds; it entails creating conditions for people to live independently, access appropriate education, employment, and social support, and receive person-centered mental and physical health care. It is crucial that people receive the support they need in environments that foster dignity, autonomy, relationships, and inclusion, with appropriate housing, education, employment, social protection, and person-centered care.
To achieve this, governments and health and social care systems must make deinstitutionalisation a priority, involving people with lived experience in the transition.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
