The law was a real cultural revolution and medical assistance, based on new (and more "human") psychiatric concepts, promoted and tested in Italy by Franco Basaglia .
Before that the mental were little more than places of physical restraint, which is applied each method of restraint and heavy drug and invasive treatments, or electroconvulsive therapy (which is sometimes still used).
The intentions of the Act 180 was to reduce drug therapies and physical containment, building relationships with staff and renewed human society, fully recognizing the rights and the need for a quality life of patients followed and treated by clinics territorial.
Law 180 demandò implementation to the Regions, which legislate in a heterogeneous, producing results diversified in the area. In 1978 only 55% of the Italian provinces there was a public psychiatric hospital, while the rest of the country we made use of private hospitals (18%) or structures of other provinces (27%).
Indeed, only after 1994, with the Project Objective and the rationalization of mental health care system to be activated at the national level, was completed the actual closing of mental hospitals in Italy.
Despite criticisms and proposals for revising the Act 180 is still under the law governing mental health care in Italy.
" by psychiatrists continue to protest, as I did for thirty years against the law on mental disorders and 180 against the situation that this law has created for patients and their families. "
Papeschi Raphael, Tuscany, has been at the forefront of all his life, he was responsible for psychiatric patients when the structures that housed them were still called asylums. How to Maggiano, near Lucca, "where I had a studio right next to that of Mario Tobias. I still remember the night watchmen in the silence of the department felt it worked because it was beating on the keys of an old Letter 22. "
Papeschi has 74 years, is retired and lives in Lucca, and his interests have remained within that world is not prepared to come off.
Dr. Papeschi that What she never liked the law Basaglia?
"My criticism is this: yes it was necessary to reduce the number of beds in psychiatric hospitals, and especially to change the mindset of doctors and nurses who used repressive methods, and then would need to be re-educated. But do not put those bans. "
What?
"The 180 says no to the possibility of treating the sick in a hospital outside of their family, even in structures such as therapeutic community. Basaglia not accepted, another ban because he saw them as an instrument of control by the society. "
believe that should reopen the asylums?
"This is not to remake the asylums. And then some were really concentration camps. We ended up three groups of people: the suffering from organic diseases such as alcoholism and dementia, which only needed medical care, and who had problems with social problems such as homeless people and drug addicts, then they would have been enough for a foster home. And then there were schizophrenics, severe depressives, psychopaths. The latter group has the right to stay in therapeutic communities, where there is always the presence of a psychiatrist and practitioners. Because when there is a psychotic anything can happen. There are existing structures in the countries European civilians. "
How long you should stay in therapeutic communities?
'It's hard to say first, because there is an activity planned rehabilitation and then the medication. But, of course, not forever. For schizophrenics serious, however, long-term care places should arise. "
So you just have to reform the 180?
"Sure. Yet so far of about 15 bills no one has ever gone through. Meanwhile, the 180, sometimes described as one of the achievements of the last fifty civilians, has discharged the burden of psychiatric care for the most part families. And the Italian Left in thirty years has not yet realized this. Where there is no government assistance, is passed to private. And if the family where there is a sick man is rich, is aimed at private clinics is poor if he does. So today has produced the syndrome of 'revolving door': a shelter and then goes home, and after a month back in the psychiatric services for diagnosis and treatment. "
So, what has proved this law?
"A great savings for the regions, which provide health . DONATELLA
of BARBETTA (Source: The Day of 08/03/2008)
I am the mother of a sick psyche. I have often wondered why mental illness is still considered a taboo, horrible and scary in the dark by marginalizing of torture and suffering hidden behind the walls of many homes. Suffice it to say that no one uses it as the insult 'epithet "cancerous" or "leukemic" but "crazy" yes, and this is significant. Yet the brain is sick like any other organ. Law 180, known as the law Basaglia, while laudable in intent to eliminate the mental ghetto made a mistake in my opinion, reserving the right to the mentally ill and the choice of care, as the first sign of serious mental illness is just the denial of care, as the mental patient is the one that says "I'm not sick." Respect this decision, in the name of a specious sense of freedom, it means locked in a hypocritical. The consequences are terrible, the patient psychological or abandoned to fend for himself or is isolated to 'within the family, to which it is entrusted with the care of the problem or without aid, or preparation or tools to deal with it. A thirty years' in law, very few mental health care system efficient and effective. L 'is the only alternative' Private assistance for those who can afford it. No one wants to invoke the reopening of mental hospitals, it would be monstrous, but because she refuses treatment, are forced to destroy it, more and more isolated, struggling alone, torn and worn.
Marianna Sassetti, Rome
