[Points of reference for home treatment].

Home treatment has been heralded as a viable alternative to other more conventional treatment approaches. It seems to fulfill legal (and ethical) requirements in that it imposes relatively few restrictions on the patient. Considering that it is clearly in line with contemporary views, e.g. that problems are best treated where they occur, and has thus found wide acceptance, it is surprising that this type of intervention has so rarely been the treatment of choice. Based on a review of the literature and our own experience, we propose tentative criteria for successful home treatment with the goal of encouraging its use.