Psychiatric reform in Italy

Psychiatric reform in Italy refers to the comprehensive reform of psychiatry that took place in Italy following the enactment of the Basaglia Law in 1978. This reform marked the end of the Italian state mental hospital system in 1998. Italy was the first European country to publicly denounce a mental health care system that led to social exclusion and segregation.

The impetus for the psychiatric reform in Italy was sparked by the case of Giorgio Coda and the stories documented in Alberto Papuzzi's book "Portami su quello che canta". The reform aimed to gradually dismantle psychiatric hospitals and establish a comprehensive, integrated, and responsible community mental health service.

The primary objective of community care was to reverse the practice of isolating mentally ill individuals in large institutions and promote their integration into the community. The goal was to provide a socially stimulating environment while avoiding excessive social pressures.

The reform gained momentum in the late 1960s when Italian physician Giorgio Antonucci began questioning the foundations of psychiatry. Antonucci worked on the dismantling of psychiatric hospitals in Imola and advocated for the liberation and reintegration of the individuals confined there.

In 1971, Franco Basaglia became the director of the provincial psychiatric hospital in Trieste. With a team of young physicians, psychologists, volunteers, and students, Basaglia initiated a project to critically examine and challenge the institution of the asylum. Their efforts focused on changing the rules and logic of psychiatric care, with the aim of providing more humane and community-based alternatives.

The psychiatric reform in Italy was a significant milestone in the history of mental health care. It paved the way for a more inclusive and community-oriented approach to treating mental illness, and it served as an inspiration for similar reforms in other countries.