The effects of institutional living on persons with mental disability

Abstract

A good number of the resources world-wide to cater for people with a disability who cannot, at one point or another in their lives, live at home, are very limited. These resources in the past were made up solely of institutions. Nowadays, developing at various rates in various countries, community living schemes for disabled persons have been developing. Institutional settings are not considered anymore to be the ideal ones for anyone to live in. Advances in medical, social and psychological sciences have shown that their confinement and isolation functions are now obsolete. However, institutions are not disappearing, they are still very much alive and are likely to remain so for a good while yet, housing many of the disabled of our societies. This is the case in Malta. The need to look at the effects these institutions have on persons who spend some time in them is therefore felt to be important. There are several reasons for this. One significant reason concerns awareness and advocacy, giving a clear picture to society about what goes on, positive and negative. From this awareness may follow the establishment of processes to prevent both unnecessary admission and retention in such institutions. Finding appropriate alternatives for housing, training, treatment and rehabilitation of persons who do not need to be in an institution is also an important consideration. [...]