The World Health Organization has called for major changes in the way mental - health people are treated, demanding that long - term care be increasingly displaced from psychiatric institutions to community services.
On the eve of World Mental Health Day, published October 9, WHO warns that many patients continue to remain isolated in institutions for extended periods, sometimes even decades.
According to the organisation, almost half of the people living in these institutions are held without their consent.
Data from the Mental Health Atlas report indicates that only 9 percent of the countries that have reported data have fully passed into community care patterns.
Meanwhile, 53 percent of countries are still in the initial stages of reforming their mental - health systems.
O The BSH reports that more than one in four people who are admitted to psychiatric hospitals stays there for more than six months.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebraesus has declared that people should not lose freedom, dignity or community connection to get continued support for mental health.
The proposed model is not aimed at eliminating hospital treatment when necessary, but at reducing unnecessary institutionalisation and creating services that enable patients to live in the community.
The organization points out that effective care for mental health is not limited to medical medicine and consultation.
It also requires support for housing, employment, education, social involvement and assistance for family members.
Experts estimate that including people who have experienced mental health problems in policy drafting is an essential element of reforms.
Through new instructions, O BSH requires governments to invest more in local services, specialised teams and rehabilitation programmes that respect patients' rights.
