Is the implementation of assertive community treatment in a low-income country feasible? The experience of Tbilisi, Georgia.

Background: In Georgia, difficult socioeconomic conditions have resulted in a drastic decrease in government financing for the health sector. State mental hospitals continue to be the main solution for the mentally ill, due to the severe lack of community-based services, and mental health services are inadequate to meet the needs of patients.

Methods: An experimental intervention of assertive community care was implemented with the aim to engage socially isolated patients who lacked contact with outpatient services and to answer their different social and psychological needs.