answer:Most of these institutions have been shut down over the years, but YES, there are some long-term psychiatric facilities. Regardless of modern medicine, you are always going to have some need for such institutions. Some people are extremely mentally ill and require lots of psych meds. Many of these people are very low functioning even with medication and need oversight/supervision to make sure that they take their medications, do daily tasks, etc. But without supportive families/caregivers/whatnot, who is going to oversee these patients? This is where these facilities come in to take care of them. Yes, they are sad places and I feel bad for those patients, but they need lifelong care.