The World Health Organization has launched a new practical guide urging countries to transition from long-term psychiatric hospital stays toward person-centered, community-based mental health care.
The initiative addresses the ongoing isolation of patients globally, as WHO data reveals that over a quarter of admitted individuals remain institutionalized for more than six months and nearly half are held involuntarily for extended periods.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that individuals should not have to forfeit their freedom or dignity to receive ongoing mental health support.
The newly released framework provides psychiatric hospital leaders with actionable steps to reduce long stays, protect human rights, and facilitate successful reintegration into society.
Aligning with World Mental Health Day, the guide stresses that successful deinstitutionalization requires active input from individuals with lived experiences alongside broad access to housing, healthcare, and employment opportunities.
With only nine percent of reporting countries having fully adopted community-based mental health care, the WHO is calling on global governments to urgently accelerate structural reforms and reallocate investments into local communities.
