What is the Trieste Model?
The Trieste model is a system of mental health recovery, focused on the immediate and long-term needs of each individual.
The model was first developed in the city of Trieste, in North-Eastern Italy, almost 50 years ago. It is lauded by the World Health Organisation as a “centre of excellence for mental health recovery,” and is probably the best place in the world to have any kind of mental health problem.
Unlike traditional psychiatric systems, it is NOT focused on psychiatric diagnoses, labels, medications or the stabilisation of symptoms, but instead focuses on personal agency, long-term support and genuine recovery.
The core of the model is the community mental health hub - like the Joshi Hubs we aim to establish in Inverness and in other cities in Scotland – which operate a 24/7, walk-in policy, and provide single-point access to mental health help and services in an informal, safe and “radically hospitable” space.
These hubs operate via a hub-spoke-model that interlinks to community assets for the benefit of a person’s recovery, helping them to live independent, fulfilling lives. The hub is also the place where long-term recovery plans are agreed upon by the individual and set in motion.
These are places where individuals are treated with compassion and dignity, and given advice, treatment and counselling. The Long-term, personalized recovery plans is one of the most important treatment tools of the Trieste model – and focuses on immediate needs and on an individual’s life goals, personal aspirations and their long-term recovery – with all the support needed to get them there.
This is a system of social psychiatry that works – at the psychiatric-treatment level, financial level (it’s far less expensive than any other mental health service) and in its recovery outcomes. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Trieste has the best rates of mental illness recovery in the world.
The raw statistics on successful treatment outcomes in Trieste provide the promise of what can be accomplished in Scotland.
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Massively reduced rates of suicide
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Fewer hospital readmissions
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Far fewer suffering from a condition deterioration of their condition
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Reduction in drug and alcohol addiction
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Far fewer court orders for compulsory treatment
All of this can be accomplished by fostering a more holistic approach to health and mental health care and support, one which recognizes the social determinants and modern-world challenges that are a large part of what is mental ill health, and the need for community support and engagement as a matter of healing.
Over the past few decades the Trieste model has been taken up in more than 30 countries, most recently Poland and the Czech Republic.
Government pilot programmes have also been set up under six NHS trusts in England. Why not Scotland?
