Psychiatric inpatient and outpatient care: changes and challenges

In the last decades mental health services experienced dramatic changes with a sharp decrease of psychiatric hospital beds and the integration of psychiatric inpatient care into medical care. In addition, psychiatric outpatient services have been developed and expanded. While some experts suggest to treat even very acute patients as outpatients, others recommend inpatient treatment for them. While numerous disadvantages of psychiatric hospital treatment have been eliminated, others continue to burden mentally ill persons. We assume that most of these disadvantages can be eliminated resulting in a better balance between in- and outpatient care. Despite the integration of psychiatric inpatient services into general hospitals high proportions of mentally ill persons suffer from comorbid physical diseases resulting in increased mortality. Better collaboration between specialists in medicine and psychiatrist is needed. New collaborative models based on scientific evidence can support this. All health professionals need a comprehensive education of this somatic-psychiatric comorbidity. Recent studies have shown that lifestyle interventions can prevent some somatic comorbid illness. Until now implementation of these preventive measures is rare, requiring a massive extended implementation in the next years. Overall, this will need sophisticated research, new health care strategies and adequate resources.