This monograph evaluates a new community-based psychiatric care system established in South-Verona, Italy, in 1978, focusing on epidemiological studies conducted by the University of Verona's Institute of Psychiatry's Medical Psychology Service. The shift from hospital-based to community-based psychiatry has been gradual in many Western countries, driven by advances in psychiatric care and improvements in social services. However, community-based psychiatry remains controversial, with critics highlighting its drawbacks. In Italy, the transition to community-based care is unique, marked by legal frameworks and a comprehensive approach. Law 180, passed in 1978, aimed to phase out mental hospitals and establish integrated psychiatric care within local socio-health units. The Italian model differs from American practices, emphasizing gradual deinstitutionalization rather than relocation of patients. Hospital psychiatry now complements community care, and integration within the district-based system ensures continuity of care. The monograph aims to evaluate this alternative community psychiatric service, highlight the importance of considering both general and specialist care levels, and demonstrate the utility of a psychiatric case register for epidemiological research and follow-up studies. The evaluation of this model is relevant not only to Italy but also to other countries. Over the past decade, the unit has conducted extensive studies on psychiatric care in South-Verona, where a Community Psychiatric Service has been operating since 1978. The South-Verona Psychiatric Case Register, established in 1978, plays a key role in these studies.This monograph evaluates a new community-based psychiatric care system established in South-Verona, Italy, in 1978, focusing on epidemiological studies conducted by the University of Verona's Institute of Psychiatry's Medical Psychology Service. The shift from hospital-based to community-based psychiatry has been gradual in many Western countries, driven by advances in psychiatric care and improvements in social services. However, community-based psychiatry remains controversial, with critics highlighting its drawbacks. In Italy, the transition to community-based care is unique, marked by legal frameworks and a comprehensive approach. Law 180, passed in 1978, aimed to phase out mental hospitals and establish integrated psychiatric care within local socio-health units. The Italian model differs from American practices, emphasizing gradual deinstitutionalization rather than relocation of patients. Hospital psychiatry now complements community care, and integration within the district-based system ensures continuity of care. The monograph aims to evaluate this alternative community psychiatric service, highlight the importance of considering both general and specialist care levels, and demonstrate the utility of a psychiatric case register for epidemiological research and follow-up studies. The evaluation of this model is relevant not only to Italy but also to other countries. Over the past decade, the unit has conducted extensive studies on psychiatric care in South-Verona, where a Community Psychiatric Service has been operating since 1978. The South-Verona Psychiatric Case Register, established in 1978, plays a key role in these studies.