Fisher WH, Geller JL, Pandiani JA
The changing role of the state psychiatric hospital. [Journal Article]
Health Aff (Millwood) 2009 May-Jun; 28(3):676-84.
State hospitals were once the most prominent components of U.S. public mental health systems. But a major focus of mental health policy over the past fifty years has been to close these facilities. These efforts led to a 95 percent reduction in the country's state hospital population. However, more than 200 state hospitals remain open, serving a declining but challenging patient population. Using national and state-level data, this paper discusses the contemporary public mental hospital, the forces shaping its use, the challenges it faces, and its possible future role in the larger mental health system.
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