Criminalizing persons with severe mental illness in Canada: the legacy of deinstitutionalization on individuals with severe mental illness

The deinstitutionalization movement of the 1960s remains the most detrimental strategic shift in the psychiatric healthcare field to date. The changing philosophical landscape on best practices for members of society with severe mental illness (SMI) has catalyzed socio-economic problems for this already vulnerable people group. These issues include increased rates of substance abuse, homelessness, and criminalization amongst people with SMI. Early literature on the effects of deinstitutionalization overvalued the humanness of the system rather than systematically evaluating the benefits. The literature of the past 25 years has adopted a more critical view of the decentralized system. This critical appraisal amalgamated and evaluated the current data to determine whether the deinstitutionalization of people with SMI is truly beneficial for the patient. This research is intended to inform Canadian policymakers regarding the future of healthcare for people with SMI. The results of this research are important as they demonstrate the financial toll of deinstitutionalization; the yearly cost of the Canadian mental health system is purportedly CAD 50 billion (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2013). Modern research indicates that deinstitutionalization as a mental health strategy can be effective but, due to the provincial inconsistency in community support, a lapse in care for comorbid patients and poor trans-institutional psychiatric care, it has contributed to the criminalization of people with SMI.