Mental health services in Romania

Abstract

Since the demise of the Ceaucescu regime in Romania, the media has been presenting a grim catalogue of life in Ceaucescu Romania. Even as these stark images were unfolding, Bristol MENCAP, independent of the national organisation, was putting together a package of humanitarian aid directed, predominantly in the first instance, to orphanages in and around the city of Cluj-Napoca in the province of Transylvania, Romania. Our department has close links with the National Executive of MENCAP and we were approached by Bristol MENCAP to undertake a fact-finding mission on the current state of professional services for the mentally handicapped in general, and that of the Department of Psychology at Cluj-Napoca University in particular.