TY - JOUR
T1 - Monitoring and evaluating the Italian mental health system: the "Progetto Residenze" study and beyond
AU - Picardi, Angelo
AU - Lega, Ilaria
AU - Candini, Valentina
AU - Dagani, Jessica
AU - Iozzino, Laura
AU - De Girolamo, Giovanni
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Filling an alarming gap in evidence-based data on the post-1978 reformed Italian psychiatric system, two turn-of-millennium nationwide projects, Progetto Residenze (PROGRES) and PROGRES-Acute, provided detailed qualitative-quantitative information about care facilities. In 2000, there were 2.9 residential beds per 10,000 inhabitants, hospital care being delivered through small (15-bed) psychiatric units. Private inpatient facilities had proliferated, private inpatient beds per 10,000 inhabitants outnumbering public beds. In 2002, there were 1.7 acute inpatient beds per 10,000 inhabitants, one of Europe's lowest current ratios. The PROGRES and other subsequent projects showed marked nationwide variation in the provision of residential inpatient and outpatient care, grounds for concern about the quality of such care, and an uneven service use pattern. Although the Italian reform law produced a broad network of facilities to meet diverse mental health care needs, the present overview article confirms that further efforts are required to improve quality, balance public and private sectors, and coordinate resources and agencies.
AB - Filling an alarming gap in evidence-based data on the post-1978 reformed Italian psychiatric system, two turn-of-millennium nationwide projects, Progetto Residenze (PROGRES) and PROGRES-Acute, provided detailed qualitative-quantitative information about care facilities. In 2000, there were 2.9 residential beds per 10,000 inhabitants, hospital care being delivered through small (15-bed) psychiatric units. Private inpatient facilities had proliferated, private inpatient beds per 10,000 inhabitants outnumbering public beds. In 2002, there were 1.7 acute inpatient beds per 10,000 inhabitants, one of Europe's lowest current ratios. The PROGRES and other subsequent projects showed marked nationwide variation in the provision of residential inpatient and outpatient care, grounds for concern about the quality of such care, and an uneven service use pattern. Although the Italian reform law produced a broad network of facilities to meet diverse mental health care needs, the present overview article confirms that further efforts are required to improve quality, balance public and private sectors, and coordinate resources and agencies.
KW - Community Mental Health Centers
KW - Health Care Surveys
KW - Hospitals, Psychiatric
KW - Humans
KW - Italy
KW - Mental Health Services
KW - Residential Facilities
KW - Community Mental Health Centers
KW - Health Care Surveys
KW - Hospitals, Psychiatric
KW - Humans
KW - Italy
KW - Mental Health Services
KW - Residential Facilities
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/66658
U2 - 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000144
DO - 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000144
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-3018
VL - 202
SP - 451
EP - 459
JO - Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
JF - Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
ER -