Several people have written asking how the Italian hospitals were closed, so I decided to reply here to everyone (Nicki - juno refused to accept mail to you, a 550 error). The democratic psychiatry movement began in Italy in the '70s, much has been written about it and the subsequent global impact on the user survivor movement. They closed all the long-term hospitals, have an integrated community system, do hospitalize for acute situations very short term in ordinary hospitals, I don't know if there are psych wards there. "The process started in the mid-1970;s and was completed in 2000, when the last group of long-term patients was discharged." Barbato, Angelo, et al A study of long-stay patients resettled in the community after closure of a psychiatric hospital in Italy, Psychiatric Services, January 2004, 55:1, p 67 [log in to unmask] Michael Donnelly, The politics of mental health in Italy, 1992. London: Routledge is one of many, many references. Sylvia People Who experience mood swings, fear, voices and visions: each other on the internet www.peoplewho.org