The new child psychiatric care unit in Ticino of the Cantonal Sociopsychiatric Organisation (OSC), linked to the Department of Health and Social Affairs (DSS), has been inaugurated in San Pietro di Stabio. The opening represents an important step in expanding services for minors with psychiatric disorders and contributes to concretely strengthening the provision of child psychiatric care in Ticino.
An increase in clinical needs
In recent years, the Canton has seen a marked increase in requests for psychiatric care for children and adolescents. The combination of worsening disorders and their increasing complexity has highlighted the limitations of available facilities, requiring a coordinated response.
It is against this backdrop that the Council of State adopted the Cantonal Socio-Psychiatric Planning Plan 2022–2025 on March 9, 2022, including the creation of a specialized unit for acute juveniles. The project, supported across the board, received unanimous approval from the Grand Council on September 20, 2022.
A temporary location to expand the offering
Until now, the lack of a dedicated department forced admissions to the adult wards of the Cantonal Psychiatric Clinic or other affiliated facilities, a practice considered therapeutically inadequate. The only dedicated space was the small ward at Lugano Civic Hospital, limited to five beds and slated for closure for renovations.
To ensure continuity of the child psychiatric care in TicinoThe Canton has identified the former San Pietro di Stabio Clinic as a temporary solution. The recently constructed facilities required limited interventions coordinated by the Logistics Section of the Department of Finance and Economy (FDEA).
Thanks to renovations completed in just a few months, the new unit offers spaces designed to meet the clinical, educational, and interpersonal needs of young patients. The expansion brings the number of beds from 5 to 13, representing the first significant increase in the canton's capacity.
A collaboration between departments
During the inauguration, DSS Director Raffaele De Rosa emphasized the importance of timely and appropriate intervention, calling it "a concrete, collective, ethical, and social responsibility" that can positively influence the life trajectories of minors in difficulty.
The Director of the Department of Health, Christian Vitta, emphasized the contribution of the Logistics Section, which quickly coordinated the necessary interventions, highlighting the effectiveness of the synergies between departments. This collaboration will continue in the future restructuring of the wards at the Cantonal Psychiatric Clinic (CPC) in Mendrisio.
Institutional presences
The ceremony was attended by the Director of the OSC, Daniele Intraina, the Medical Director of the CPC, Zefiro Mellacqua, the Medical Referent of the unit, Carlotta De Pasquale, and representatives of the Logistics Section of the DFE, including the Section Head Giovanni Realini and the Project Manager Marco Lorenzi.
A bridge phase towards the final location
The Stabio facility represents a transitional solution while awaiting the future location, planned for Bellinzona. In the meantime, the new department will fill a significant gap in the child psychiatric care in Ticino, ensuring a more suitable environment for the reception and treatment of minor patients.
For images:
Republic and Canton of Ticino
