From asylums to deinstitutionalization and after: an analytic review.

This article examines the complex history and consequences of deinstitutionalization, the process that shifted mental health care from asylum-based institutionalization to community-oriented services over the latter half of the 20th century. While deinstitutionalization aimed to empower patients and reduce the dehumanizing effects of asylums—once viewed as total institutions that isolated and objectified the mentally ill—it also led to significant challenges, including homelessness, incarceration, and inadequate community support for many individuals with severe mental illness. The paper highlights the ongoing tensions between biomedical and psychosocial approaches, the limitations of psychopharmacology, and the socio-political factors influencing mental health policy, emphasizing that despite the closure of many asylums, institutional care persists in various forms. It concludes by advocating for renewed social policies and collective efforts to reduce stigma and improve inclusive, effective mental health care.