and value to individual life histories. Any form of physical containment and shock therapy was suppressed, the barriers and mesh which had enclosed the wards were removed, doors and gates were opened, compulsory hospitalizations became voluntary and definitive ones were revoked, thus the patients regained their political and civil rights. Main characteristics Michele Tansella specified the main characteristics of the Italian experience: community care as the principal component of the system; a relatively low dose of inpatient care, avoiding treating any new patients in mental hospital; a very careful integration between the various facilities within the geographically based system of care, the same team providing outpatient as well as inpatient and community care. The closure of various hospital settings became possible because of constant reduction of in-patients number which in the course of years had the following dynamics: Estimations Giovanna Russo and Francesco Carelli state that back in 1978 the Basaglia reform perhaps could not be fully implemented because society was unprepared for such an avant-garde and innovative concept of mental health. Thirty years later, it has become more obvious that this reform reflects a concept of modern health and social care for mental patients. The Italian example originated samples of effective and innovative service models and paved the way for deinstitutionalisation of mental patients. See also Basaglia Law Deinstitutionalisation Giorgio Antonucci Giorgio Coda References External links Giorgio Antonucci speaks about Franco Basaglia (in Italian) Pervasive Technology Lab (CIC) (2011) Technology for Mental Health Archive Giorgio Antonucci Health care reform Mental health in Italy History of psychiatry Deinstitutionalisation in Italy Reform in Italy