Developments in Psychiatric Day Care

Abstract

Although day care for the mentally ill has been used for almost forty years the potential of the service has not been fully utilised and the movement lacks any sense of overall direction. Day hospitals, the major provider of day care places, have expanded because of practical and financial pressures rather than by their own merit. Meanwhile, day centres have failed to make any significant impact on the psychiatric system, due to a lack of funding to local authorities and their consequent lack of commitment. The result has been a ratherad hocdevelopment of services and a failure to rationalise their activities.