ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the aspects of evaluation which are particularly relevant for community psychiatric services. It describes the first steps in the evaluation of the South-Verona Community Psychiatric Service (CPS), and a new service set up in 1978 according to the provision of the Italian psychiatric reform. A log-linear analysis demonstrated a strong association between the pattern of service use and diagnosis, occupational status, and previous psychiatric contacts. Although quantitative national and regional data have been analysed, the main issue remains whether or not the new pattern of psychiatric care delivery is effective where it is fully applied. The South-Verona CPS is taking care of most psychiatric patients who before the reform would have been admitted to the mental hospital, becoming long-stay. The effects due to the particular organization of psychiatric services which is operating in South-Verona and quantitative as well as quantitative aspects of the offered care deserve further studies.
