Community mental health: The evolution of a concept in social policy.

The mental health movement has come full cycle: from emphasis on domiciliary care in large institutions far removed from the familiar, to concern for the place where prevention begins and treatment ends-the community. A century and a quarter of humanitarian progress and significant legislation in the development of positive mental health programs are traced historically. The evolution of community mental health is viewed as an emergent concept in social policy that is currently determining programs and directing responsible citizen action toward community-based efforts to promote mental health.