An examination of the effectiveness of treatment for serious mental illness: From asylum to outpatient community services

This capstone reflects research conducted about the effectiveness of mental health treatment for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), specifically post deinstitutionalization in New York. For a patient, deinstitutionalization is the transition from a locked institution, such as an asylum or inpatient facility, to community living with outpatient community supports/services. Deinstitutionalization continues today, with outpatient community services available to provide individuals with mental illness the supports and services they had once received all-inclusive in the asylum. The effectiveness of deinstitutionalization and of available outpatient community services and supports that are being provided to these individuals was evaluated. The author researched the treatment culture of the time of asylums when physicians and medical personnel were searching for, and practicing, a type of medicine designed to cure mental illness. Currently, outpatient community services seek to treat the symptoms of mental illness in order for the individual to live independently in the community. Today, the treatment of an individual's symptoms is pursued using a person-centered approach to care. This form of treatment allows for increased attention to quality care and longevity of success in the community. The hope for individuals with mental illness is for them to live fulfilling, productive, and happy lives in the community as well as managing the symptoms of their mental illness without the need for segregation. Although, some scholars still strive to find a cure, researchers have concluded that the most practiced course of treatment for individuals with SMI is to effectively manage the individual's symptoms so the individual can remain out of hospitals, inpatient facilities, and jails. Keywords: Health Care Administration, Dr. Dana Hart, Professor Maria DeGiglio, mental health, outpatient treatment, community integration, assisted outpatient treatment.