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Observations from community care for serious mental illness during a controlled study

Bethlem Royal & Maudsley Hospital, and Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF

Gary McNamee, Lambeth Mental Health Community Trust

^* Correspondence

A controlled study of community care in serious mental illness (SMI) was carried out. Patients with SMI were randomised to have hospital care or be looked after by a community psychiatric care team in a Daily Living Programme (DLP). The day-to-day work of a clinical team with the difficulties encountered in delivering community psychiatric care in an inner city is described. There were seven deaths from self-harm during the 45-month study. One DLP patient committed homicide. An ordeal by media following this and the suicides are described. Lessons learnt include the need for the community care team to be responsible for discharge from any in-patient phases and for attention to team morale, especially during adversity, and to time spent working under pressure.

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