Community care for chronic psychotic patients on a small Caribbean island

The beneficial effects of a community psychiatric programme are described. During the year following the programme's introduction, admissions of violent chronic psychotic patients to prison were for a total of 1.5 patient months and none were sent abroad for treatment. This is compared with the previous year, in which patients spent a total of 24 patient months in prison and two were sent abroad for urgent treatment. In addition to the increase in patient well-being, a considerable reduction in financial costs was achieved.(AU)