Community Psychiatry in a Sri Lankan setting: Should we rush to push the boundaries?

Sri Lanka is preparing to introduce new mental health laws incorporating aspects of community care amidst global acceptance of Community Psychiatry as the ideal model of service delivery in mental health. However, this model needs to be reviewed not only because of the high financial and human resources it requires but also in light of recent reports that it has not yielded expected results in some developing countries. A more practical framework, incorporating the many specific factors of the milieu in which it operates, is advocated especially for a country such as Sri Lanka with its distinctive advantages and limitations.

DOI: 10.4038/sljpsyc.v1i2.2568

SL J Psychiatry 2010; 1 (2):27-28