NEW MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION will put the emphasis on greater community treatment.

Director of the Psychiatric Hospital Tennyson Springer spoke to the DAILY NATION about mental health yesterday following a church service at the Whitehall Methodist Church to mark the start of Mental Health Week.

"We have just had a review of the mental health legislation to make provision for empowering the nurses to function effectively in the community.

"We have also increased the number of clinics we do within our primary health care system, as well as our outpatients, so that people can be cared for in the community close to where they live," he said.

He added that the global direction was community mental health, because it was recognised that people spending long periods of time in hospital developed a level of institutionalisation which did not help their healing process.

Springer said community care was where they wanted to take mental health, but acknowledged it would not occur overnight because of the prevailing view of mental health. He estimated that it would be possible within another ten to 15 years.

Springer said progress had also been made with lowering the level of abandonment of the mentally ill.

"It is still too high, and for us as a nation on the verge of First World status it is still very high.

"What we are trying to do is put more people and more services in the community . . . what we are hoping to establish is day services so that those people can bring their families in the day, have the care provided that is necessary, and take them back home in the evening.

"This way everybody wins because they do not get institutionalised," said Springer.

During the service Brother Anthony Sobers said adults could influence the lives of young people if as parents, or grandparents and relatives they clearly demonstrated their faith in God.

Sobers said that, as leaders, adults needed to appreciate their own faith since it was critical to the development of young people.

He said if it was demonstrated in the workplace, home and community, then it would help.

The theme of this week's celebrations is Mental Health In A Changing World:Impact Of Cultural Diversity. (WB)