چكيده لاتين :
In a period of less than five decades, the urban residence has dramatically increased in Iran. Currently more
than two thirds of the population live in city dwellings. This rapid urbanization has considerable impact on
people’s mental health and psychiatric care. The main strategy of Iranיs National Program of Mental Health has
been the integration of mental health into the primary health care (PHC) system. Since 1986, expansion of the
integration has resulted in great improvements in the provision of mental health services in rural areas but there
is some evidence showing that the integration did not reach its objectives in urban areas where most of the
country’s population reside. Recently, some initiatives have been made to face the challenge, for example, home
care, aftercare services, and community mental health centers. In any future revision of the national program,
mental health care in urban areas should take priority and rethinking the strategies to achieve the goals is
necessary.
Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (IJPBS), Volume 3, Number 1, Spring and Summer 2009: 9-14 .
