Treatment of Mental Treatment of Mental Illness in the 1800sIllness in the 1800s

By: Sally Attar and Natalia By: Sally Attar and Natalia RomeroRomero

What is a mental illness?What is a mental illness?A mental illness is a disorder in the A mental illness is a disorder in the

brain caused by a chemical brain caused by a chemical imbalance that causes a person to imbalance that causes a person to

function differently. A mental function differently. A mental illness can be caused either by an illness can be caused either by an

injury or through genetics.injury or through genetics.Examples of mental illnesses are schizophrenia, bipolar, depression,

obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders, etc.

• In the 1800s, mental illnesses were not taken In the 1800s, mental illnesses were not taken very seriouslyvery seriously

• Before mental hospitals opened, a person Before mental hospitals opened, a person with a mental illness was usually isolated with a mental illness was usually isolated from others and had to stay home at all timesfrom others and had to stay home at all times

• People who had a family member with a People who had a family member with a mental illness denied the factmental illness denied the fact

• In the mid-1800s, Benjamin Rush and In the mid-1800s, Benjamin Rush and Dorothea Dix took the first steps towards Dorothea Dix took the first steps towards finding a treatment for the mentally ill by finding a treatment for the mentally ill by researching the causesresearching the causes

• Dorothea Dix greatly affected the way people Dorothea Dix greatly affected the way people with mental illnesses were treated; she with mental illnesses were treated; she observed the way they were housed with observed the way they were housed with criminals and the way they were often beatencriminals and the way they were often beaten

• By the mid-1800s, the first few By the mid-1800s, the first few hospitals for the mentally ill were hospitals for the mentally ill were built and these hospitals became built and these hospitals became home for thousands of diagnosed home for thousands of diagnosed peoplepeople

• At this point in time, the population At this point in time, the population believed that the mentally ill were being believed that the mentally ill were being treated with high-quality medical support; treated with high-quality medical support; little did they know this was only the little did they know this was only the image portrayed from outside the boximage portrayed from outside the box

• A A New York World New York World Reporter, Nellie Bly, Reporter, Nellie Bly, decided one day to disguise herself as a decided one day to disguise herself as a mentally ill person in order to view the mentally ill person in order to view the treatment from a patients point of viewtreatment from a patients point of view

• According to Bly, it was over-crowded and According to Bly, it was over-crowded and defeated the purpose of trying to give defeated the purpose of trying to give extra attention to those in needextra attention to those in need

• She decided to publicize the fact that She decided to publicize the fact that America needed a better health care America needed a better health care system to support the mentally illsystem to support the mentally ill

• The routine of one’s life with a The routine of one’s life with a mental illness was practically the mental illness was practically the same for each individualsame for each individual

• The person would be put into the The person would be put into the mental hospital, where they would be mental hospital, where they would be given food and medicationgiven food and medication

• Basically, they would stay in the Basically, they would stay in the same building for the rest of their same building for the rest of their lives, following the same routine lives, following the same routine each and everydayeach and everyday

• By the late 1800s, a German By the late 1800s, a German scientist, Emil Kraepelin, began scientist, Emil Kraepelin, began researching the different kinds of researching the different kinds of mental illnesses, in order to begin mental illnesses, in order to begin finding a treatment for eachfinding a treatment for each

• The issue of mental illnesses was The issue of mental illnesses was taken more seriously at this point in taken more seriously at this point in time, and it became known that a time, and it became known that a mental illness can be passed through mental illness can be passed through genetics, as opposed to being caused genetics, as opposed to being caused by an injuryby an injury

So how was treatment of So how was treatment of mental illness in the 1800s?mental illness in the 1800s?

• In the early 1800s, people diagnosed with a In the early 1800s, people diagnosed with a mental illness were literally locked up at mental illness were literally locked up at home and isolated from the outside worldhome and isolated from the outside world

• By the mid-1800s, a few scientists decide to By the mid-1800s, a few scientists decide to take action about the cruel way the take action about the cruel way the mentally ill were treatedmentally ill were treated

• During the mid-1800s America also opened During the mid-1800s America also opened several hospitals for the ill; however these several hospitals for the ill; however these hospitals did not do its patients much of a hospitals did not do its patients much of a favour due to the poor treatment towards favour due to the poor treatment towards the patientsthe patients

• By the time the late 1800s came, By the time the late 1800s came, treatment of the mentally ill had greatly treatment of the mentally ill had greatly improvedimproved

• However, the patients in the hospital However, the patients in the hospital were still not given much freedom, and were still not given much freedom, and had the same daily routine practically had the same daily routine practically everyday for the rest of their liveseveryday for the rest of their lives

• So what really changed the medical So what really changed the medical system offered for the mentally ill?system offered for the mentally ill?

Any ideas?Any ideas?

The answer to that question is The answer to that question is simple…simple…

• In 1963, Congress passed an Act In 1963, Congress passed an Act called the called the Community Mental Community Mental Health Centers ActHealth Centers Act

• After this Act, states began receiving After this Act, states began receiving federal and state support to offer federal and state support to offer mental health treatment mental health treatment

• Nowadays, someone with a mental Nowadays, someone with a mental illness is treated with respect, just illness is treated with respect, just like every other person, because, in like every other person, because, in fact, we are all equalfact, we are all equal

Now it’s time for some questions to see how well you were really listening…

In the early 1800s, a scientist In the early 1800s, a scientist by the name of Nellie Bly by the name of Nellie Bly began researching about began researching about

mental illnesses and possible mental illnesses and possible treatments.treatments.

True or False?

In the mid-1800s, what was the In the mid-1800s, what was the daily routine of a typical daily routine of a typical

patient with a mental illness?patient with a mental illness?

Thank you for listening, we Thank you for listening, we hope you learned something hope you learned something

useful.useful.