The role of the Italian National Institute of Health in the National Project on Mental Health (1996-2000).

In the mid-eighties, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) made a significant contribution to the foundation of the WHO Center for Research and Training in Mental Health in Italy, with the Institute director Francesco Pocchiari as first president. In the nineties, an extensive and successful project of research in mental health (Progetto Nazionale Salute Mentale, PNSM) was directed by ISS after financing with public health funds (DL.vo 1992/402, art. 12). The ISS unit conducted research on rehabilition facilities (census and evaluation of the characteristics of a large random sample; Progetto Residenze, PROGRES). ISS continued to participate in subsequent projects in the same field, conducted by Regions with adequately qualified Mental Health Services; a significant example is PROGRES ACUTI (census and evaluation of facilities for acute patients).