Assessment of community mental health centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the ongoing mental health reform.

In summary it seems reasonable to state that around 5000 individual service users are visiting the CMHCs in Bosnia and Herzegovina during one week. Approximately 60% of them have mental health problems, around 25% come for non mental medical disorders and around 15% are healthy and come for check ups or certificates. The average CMHC cater for about 65,000 inhabitants with a staff of one psychiatrist, three nurses and 0.

[Reconstruction of mental health services in Bosnia and Herzegovina].

Psychiatric services in Bosnia-Herzegovina before the war disaster was fairly developed and one of the best organized services amongst the republics of the former Yugoslavia. The psychiatric care system was based on psychiatric hospitals and small neuropsychiatric wards within general hospitals, accompanied by psychiatric services in health centers. The onset of war in B&H brought devastation and destruction in all domains of life, including the demolition and closing of numerous traditional psychiatric institutions, together with massive psychological suffering of the whole civilian population.

Assessment of community mental health care in the Federation of Bosnia-Hercegovina (FBH) after the 1992-95 war.

Bosnia-Hercegovina is in the process of reforming its health care system. One realises that this is a complex matter that will cost a great deal of time and effort. The findings suggest that the highest priority now is the development of the 'mental health strategic and action 'plan', which includes (as a component of the overall PHC strategy) legislation, financing mechanisms, a clear statute for the CMHCs and staff, and to define the relationship with other PHC services.