Suicide and Community Care

In recent years there has been a considerable shift towards the treatment of psychiatric patients outside hospital; and although progress in the expansion of such services as hostels, day centres and social work has in many places been slow, the idea of a Community Service based on home care whenever possible has become a popular one and forms the basis of official planning in this country (16). Doubts have, however, been expressed as to the wisdom of so great an emphasis on this untried method of management (13, 34, 39); the proper evaluation of Community Care is therefore of great importance.