History of Mental Health by Mind

When people think of an “illness” they typically don’t automatically think of mental illness. They think about HIV, cancer, or even a cold or flu. However when it comes to mental illness it is a whole different idea. But is mental illness even real? Addressed in the book, The Myth of Mental Illness (1961), a psychiatrist Thomas Szasz argues that the idea of classifying psychological and emotional difficulties as “illnesses” takes away sense of control. Instead of holding people personally and morally responsible for their actions, he states, doctors attempt to “treat” the person, often with medications. Diagnosing mental illness, on the other hand, argue that mental disorders are as real as physical diseases and diagnosing them allows people

Institutional care was condemned, as in many cases patients’ mental conditions deteriorated, and institutions were not able to treat the individual in a holistic manner. In many state institutions, patients numerously outnumbered the poorly trained staff. Many patients were boarded in these facilities for extensive periods of time without receiving any services. By 1963, the average stay for an individual with a diagnosis of schizophrenia was eleven years. As the media and newspapers publicized the inhumane conditions that existed in many psychiatric hospitals, awareness grew and there was much public pressure to create improved treatment options (Young Minds Advocacy, 2016). .

There was a great willingness to keep the poor in one place and so by

Review of Thomas Szasz. M.D.,The Myth Of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct.

Mental health is a complex phenomenon that consists of a range of diagnoses, treatments and outcomes. Recovery from such experiences has historically meant to completely remove all symptoms of illness, but is now currently thought of as regaining a sense of control over and development of a new meaning and purpose in one’s life, rather than feeling defined by the illness. Each individual understands it in their own personal way, likened to a journey towards self-determination, choice, and empowerment.

Those who did not engage in illegal behavior and received aid were seen as lazy and unwilling to work for money, when it could be handed out to them. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, in a 1531 decree to the Netherlands, stated that if begging was universally permitted, "Many errors and abuses will result, [as the poor] will fall into idleness." Only those who were incapable of work should receive aid, the proclamation mandated. The town council of Rouen, France, however, disagreed with the Emperor: "Those who are unwilling to work should indeed be expelled," while those who could work should be given jobs by the civil government. Those who did not work, according to the minutes of the council session, were not to be considered poor, and therefore not helped. William Turner, an English doctor, agreed with this view of the worthlessness of the idle poor: "They would much rather be sick [and idle]...than be well" and work to honestly earn a living. A poorhouse in Suffolk County, England, published regulations in 1588 that advocated the harsh treatment of its residents. "Every strong rouge...shall have 12 stripes with the whip," whilst the younger poor or idlers were to receive six. The poorhouse used repression and physical measures to force the poor into submission, supposedly for their own good.

Because states needed Medicaid reimbursement from the federal government, they had no option but to transfer patients with mental diseases from state hospitals to nursing homes and community psychiatric facilities. It is these alternative

The article states that forty years before it written psychiatric hospitals were closed due to patients being kept too long and often without a good cause. There

During the 1800s, treating individuals with psychological issues was a problematic and disturbing issue. Society didn’t understand mental illness very well, so the mentally ill individuals were sent to asylums primarily to get them off the streets. Patients in asylums were usually subjected to conditions that today we would consider horrific and inhumane due to the lack of knowledge on mental illnesses.

In 1955, over 559,000 individuals resided in inpatient psychiatric hospitals. By 1995, however, the number had drastically diminished to 69,000, (National Health Policy Forum, 2000). This drastic reduction was largely due to the discovery of antipsychotic medications in the 1950s, and the deinstitutionalization movement of the 1960s, wherein several thousands of mentally ill individuals were released from psychiatric institutions to return to their communities for treatment. Mental health centers (MHCs) were conceptualized during deinstitutionalization to provide treatment to these newly-released mentally ill persons in their communities. Although efforts were well-intended, the MHCs failed to serve the

The Poor Law act 1601 was introduced and classified the poor into three groups, setting policies for each, the impotent poor, able bodied poor and persistent idler. It viewed poverty as the fault of the person, not their situation. Following industrialisation and a decrease in agricultural jobs, workers moved to factories working for low pay and in appalling conditions, but those needing employment outweighed the availability of such.

Through the course of time, mental illnesses have always been in existence due to varying factors and causes. However, as time has passed, the perceptions and available treatments for mental illnesses have also changed as new technology was developed. By looking at the treatments and perceptions of mental illnesses in the early 20th century, we can learn how to properly treat and diagnose not only mental disorders but also other conditions as well as show us the importance of review boards and controlled clinical trials.

Prior to the Poor Law Amendment Act there was the Elizabethan Poor Law 1601 which was more generous towards the poor. It was becoming impossible for the government to sustain this law due to the growing costs. Statistics show that in 1802 the expenditure on poor relief was costing the government £4,078,000, this figure continued to

Denial of Mental Illness in the Early 20th Century Virginia Woolf’s own experience with mental illness is conveyed through the detachment from society in the characters of Septimus Warren Smith and Clarissa Dalloway in her novel Mrs Dalloway. Due to cultural norms and societal beliefs during the early 20th century, people who were suffering from a mental illness were seen as a “hysteric” and “out of sorts” and should be kept hidden society. Although Septimus and Clarissa are from totally different classes of society, they share the common feeling of isolation during a time where they weren’t understood. Despite the fact that these two characters never met, Woolf was trying to express that this inward struggle these characters were facing,

According to Spicker (2014) the English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed until the emergence of the modern welfare state after the Second World War. These laws purpose was provision for 'setting the poor on work '. The parish was the basic unit of administration. People were tied to particular locations. If they tried to get relief outside the parish of their birth they could be ‘removed’ which means not given relief or transported to another parish. The Poor Laws relief did not generally include accommodation but in 17th century first few workhouses were established. In Scotland they were called ‘houses of correction’.