HAS THE SECTORIZATION OF PSYCHIATRIC-SERVICES IN FRANCE REALLY BEEN EFFECTIVE

This paper describes the implementation of the French sectorization po licy during the last 20 years, and how effectively it has delivered ca re to patients suffering from severe mental health disorders. This cha nge in policy has resulted in a dramatic and progressive decline in fu ll-time hospitalization and an increase in outpatient care, without, h owever, any marked increase in the readmissions rate. The resources an d services provided by a representative section are described, followe d by an account of a plan for dosing psychiatric beds in a specific ar ea of the centre of France. The full implementation of the policy has some distance to go, but the graded way in which it was carried out se ems generally to have protected patients from adverse consequences. Ho wever, there has been little formal evaluation, and more is required b efore the policy can be deemed to have been successful.