Chapter 17 - Integrated mental health systems: the Cuban experience

Summary

This chapter presents the Cuban integrative health/mental health system as a widely recognized model grounded in local community and primary care, within a national health system emphasizing free universal health care. Cuba's mental health system, offering community-based mental health care grounded in integrative primary care, incorporates the full spectrum of health promotion, problem prevention, curative treatments, rehabilitation, and social integration. The chapter draws on recent overviews and evaluations of Cuba's mental health systems of care, published research conducted by both Cuban and global sources, and Cuban practice accounts and experiences. Cuba's in-patient services include psychiatric hospitals housing both acute-care patients for short-term stays and longer-term patients, and local and regional general hospitals housing emergency and short-term care. One critical area in which Cuba's integrative health approach offers internationally recognized expertise is in minimizing adverse health/mental health impacts of disasters.