Public mental healthcare: towards a superfluous safety netThis paper contests the merits of Public Mental Healthcare (PMHC) and examines the mission and structure of PMHC as a service. A description of the mission and structure of PMHC as a service is lacking, and even reflections on the type of service provided are scarce. In market-driven healthcare systems, the power of self-care and informal care is overlooked leading to excessive forms of professionalism. The resources of civil society are also neglected and leading to a loss of quality and price increases. Thresholds, budget cuts and the inaccessibility of services that come with it, form the background of a safety net such as PMHC. Integrated and accessible care is not within reach for people with multiple and complex problems. The very existence of PMHC is related to the rise of commodification, consumerism and the decline of primary healthcare values.