Community mental health nursing, 1954 to 1990: a review of policy, practice and service organisation.

From the middle of the last century to the middle of the 1950s, people experiencing mental health problems in the UK invariably faced admission to asylums and segregation from wider society. A steady increase in asylum admissions meant that, by 1955, there were 150,000 asylum beds. Reflecting this institutional mode of care and treatment, nurses caring for mentally ill people, until just over 40 years ago, worked exclusively in asylum settings. This paper traces the evolution of the community mental health nursing (CMHN) profession in the UK. Particular attention is paid to the following influences: The mental health policy context within which CMHN services were created and then expanded. The evolving collective professional identity of CMHNs. The changing relationships between CMHNs and other professional groups.