[Psychiatric reform needs good planning-a national, federal, and regional responsibility].

While the German mental health system is extensive and well differentiated, at the same time it is fragmented and lacks coordination. Services do not necessarily follow regional demand. They are not sufficiently integrated into the local social infrastructure.

Hannover study on long-stay hospitalization - part II: Characteristics and care conditions of long-stay hospitalization in cases of chronic mental illness.

Background: Long-stay hospitalization is often a consequence of insufficient care structures. This article examines the characteristics and care conditions of long-stay hospitalization (LSH) in an urban area in Germany.

Methods: Extensive data of patients in the urban catchment area of the Medical School of Hannover, capital of Lower Saxony, were evaluated during a 10 years period.

How does mental health care perform in respect to service users' expectations? Evaluating inpatient and outpatient care in Germany with the WHO responsiveness concept.

Background: Health systems increasingly try to make their services more responsive to users' expectations. In the context of the World Health Report 2000, WHO developed the concept of health system responsiveness as a performance parameter. Responsiveness relates to the system's ability to respond to service users' legitimate expectations of non-medical aspects.