End prolonged psychiatric hospital stays, WHO urges nations

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on countries to move away from long-term psychiatric hospital care towards community-based mental health services that protect patients’ rights, dignity and freedom.

In a news release issued on 9 October 2026, ahead of World Mental Health Day, the organisation introduced a new guide to help countries make the transition and support people with mental health conditions to live fulfilling lives within their communities.

The approach, known as deinstitutionalisation, involves helping people who have spent six months or more in psychiatric hospitals return to community life with access to appropriate care and support.

According to WHO, many people with mental health conditions remain in large psychiatric hospitals and social care institutions for months, years or even decades. Nearly half are reportedly held in these facilities against their will.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said people should not have to sacrifice their freedom, dignity or place in society to receive ongoing mental health support.

He urged governments to redirect investments from long-term institutional care towards rights-based services within communities.

The new guide outlines practical steps for psychiatric hospital leaders, including reducing unnecessary admissions and prolonged stays, improving institutional practices to protect patients’ rights, and supporting people as they return to their communities.

However, WHO stressed that hospitals alone cannot achieve the transition. It said access to housing, healthcare, education, employment, social support and assistance for families would be essential to helping people live independently and participate in society.

Progress towards community-based mental healthcare remains uneven across countries. Findings from WHO’s Mental Health Atlas showed that only 9 per cent of reporting countries had fully transitioned to community-based mental health care, while 53 per cent were still at an early stage of reform.

The report also found that more than one in four people admitted to psychiatric hospitals stayed for longer than six months.

The guide further emphasises the need to involve people with lived experience of mental health conditions in decisions about the services and policies that affect them.

Grace Gatera, an independent lived experience consultant and advocate, said the transition must be carried out with people who understand institutional care through personal experience, rather than having decisions made for them.

She noted that their knowledge is important in developing services that promote choice, recovery and participation in community life.

Developed with experts from different parts of the world, including people with lived experience, the guide provides practical approaches that countries can adapt to their local circumstances.

As World Mental Health Day approaches, WHO is urging governments and health services to accelerate the shift towards community-based care and ensure that people with lived experience help shape mental health systems.