Narration and CareNarration and care. The deinstitutionalization of asylum system in Italy: history, cultural imaginary, planning (from 1961 to today)

Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) – Missione 4 “Istruzione e Ricerca” – Componente 2 “Dalla Ricerca all’Impresa” Investimento 1.1 “Fondo per il Programma Nazionale di Ricerca e Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale (PRIN)”.

The project “Narration and Care. The deinstitutionalization of the asylum system in Italy: history, imaginary, planning (from 1961 to today)” focuses on Italy’s mental health system transformation post Law 180, spanning the last sixty years. It aims to reassess a rich cultural heritage of debates and narratives related to mental illness, aligning with three keywords: inclusion, deinstitutionalization, and training. Social inclusion is urgent today, addressing not only mental illness but also issues from migration, refugee reception, and post-pandemic youth problems. The process of deinstitutionalization in Italian psychiatric hospitals reflects a preference for territorial assistance over inadequate internment policies, a Basaglia’s vision which the project emphasises. It also highlights the need for training health workers beyond medical discourse, incorporating knowledge of asylums’ social history and deinstitutionalization.

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