How mental illness was treated in the past?

TREATMENT IN THE PAST. For much of history, the mentally ill have been treated very poorly. It was believed that mental illness was caused by demonic possession, witchcraft, or an angry god (Szasz, 1960). For example, in medieval times, abnormal behaviors were viewed as a sign that a person was possessed by demons.

When did NHS start treating mental health?

In 1959, more than a decade after the NHS was established, Parliament passed The Mental Health Act. Under the new Act, entry to hospital was to be decided on medical, rather than legal terms. There was also some attempt to integrate mental health care with the wider NHS.

When did the treatment of mental illnesses begin?

Modern treatments of mental illness are most associated with the establishment of hospitals and asylums beginning in the 16th century.

When was mental health First Recognised in the UK?

History. The Madhouses Act 1774 was the first legislation in the United Kingdom addressing mental health. Privately funded lunatic asylums were widely established during the nineteenth century.

How was mental illness treated in the 1970s?

Abstract. In the treatment of mental disorders, the 1970s was a decade of increasing refinement and specificity of existing treatments. There was increasing focus on the negative effects of various treatments, such as deinstitutionalization, and a stronger scientific basis for some treatments emerged.

How has mental health care changed over time UK?

Mental health has been transformed over the last seventy years. There have been so many changes: the closure of the old asylums; moving care into the community; the increasing the use of talking therapies. They have all had a hugely positive impact on patients and mental health care.

How were mentally ill patients treated in the 1930s?

In the 1930s, mental illness treatments were in their infancy and convulsions, comas and fever (induced by electroshock, camphor, insulin and malaria injections) were common. Other treatments included removing parts of the brain (lobotomies).

What is the history of mental illness treatment?

The history of treating mental illnesses dates as far back as 5000 B.C.E. with the evidence of “trephined skulls.” In the ancient world cultures, a well-known belief was that mental illness was “the result of supernatural phenomena”; this included phenomena from “demonic possession” to “sorcery” and “the evil eye”.

How were mentally ill people treated in the 16th century?

In the eyes of the law, mentally ill people lacked the capacity to reason, so a Court of Wards would hand the responsibility for their affairs to someone else. King James I (1603-1625) instructed the court that ‘lunatics be freely committed to their best and nearest friends, that can receive no benefit by their death.’

What did the Bethlem’s first medical’keeper’tell us about mental illness?

This section looks at how the appointment of the Bethlem’s first medical ‘keeper’ in 1619 reflected society’s growing view that mental illness was a medical matter rather than a supernatural event, despite the continued popularity of traditional treatments.

How has society changed the way we treat the mentally ill?

Throughout history, there have been radical changes in how the mentally ill are treated and cared for; most of these occurred because of changing societal views and knowledge of mental illness. These changes have brought psychiatrics out of a negative light and have given psychiatric studies a brighter, more positive outlook.