WHO Calls for Community-Based Mental Healthcare to Replace Prolonged Psychiatric Hospitalisation

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to transform mental health services by reducing dependence on long-term psychiatric hospitalisation and expanding support within communities. The organisation's new practical guidance outlines measures to help people with mental health conditions receive appropriate care while maintaining their independence, dignity and connection with society.

The guidance, titled Supporting the Transition to Community-Based Mental Health and Social Care, addresses the challenges faced by adults who have spent extended periods in psychiatric hospitals. WHO notes that institutional care can separate individuals from their families and communities, restrict personal autonomy and expose them to risks of human rights violations.

The proposed transition involves more than reducing hospital admissions. Countries are encouraged to develop accessible community mental health services, supported housing and coordinated social care. These services should help individuals receive treatment closer to home and obtain assistance with everyday activities, education, employment and social participation.

WHO recommends a phased approach covering planning, preparation and service delivery. Hospital leaders are encouraged to review admission practices, reduce unnecessarily long stays, improve the quality of care for current patients and establish effective arrangements for supported discharge. Coordination between hospitals, government authorities, families, community organisations and people with lived experience is considered essential.

The organisation also emphasises that changes in service delivery must be supported by suitable policies, legislation, funding and trained personnel. Without these arrangements, transferring patients out of hospitals may leave them without the support required for recovery and independent living.

According to WHO, only 9% of countries covered by its Mental Health Atlas had fully transitioned to community-based mental healthcare, while more than half remained at an early stage of reform.

The guidance calls for a rights-based approach in which people with mental health conditions participate in decisions about their treatment and recovery. WHO's recommendations aim to help governments build mental health systems that provide continuity of care, protect individual freedoms and support long-term recovery within communities.

09-10-2026