Challenges and Barrier to Community Rehabilitation of patients after a long-term stay in a Psychiatric Hospital in Northern India

For patients suffering from mental illnesses, an access to mental health care facilities remains a challenge. But in today’s scenario, it has become even more difficult to de- institutionalize patients admitted in these health care facilities for a long period. The mental health care providers face multiple challenges in mobilizing the community to help rehabilitate these patients. Barriers in discharging these patients are very complex and involve many social factors. Patients who are suffering from mental illnesses are not given the needed care and do not get the opportunity to become the part of the ‘mainstream’ society. Now it’s high time that we address the impediments in rehabilitation of these patients. This requires a liaison between the medical sector and other sectors like the social and welfare sector. Key words: patient with mental illness, Community rehabilitation, long-term stay of patients with mental illness, social welfare sector, state mental hospital.