CHANGING CONCEPTIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS

CONCEPTIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS HOW VIEWS OF MENTAL ILLNESS HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME CURRENT CONCEPTIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS WHERE DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN MENTAL ILLNESS AND NORMALITY?

PRE 20TH CENTURY

PRE-20TH CENTURY MENTAL ILLNESS IS UNIVERSAL MENTAL ILLNESS LIMITED TO SMALL NUMBER OF MOST SERIOUS CONDITIONS MENTALLY ILL HIGHLY STIGMATIZED

CAUSES NOT MUCH KNOWN SUPERNATURAL BRAIN DISEASE

EARLY TREATMENT

EARLY TREATMENT LITTLE KNOWLEDGE PRE-19TH CENTURY – FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY OR LEFT TO FEND FOR SELVES NO OUTPATIENT TREATMENT 19TH CENTURY - SHUT AWAY IN INSTITUTIONS

PRE-20TH CENTURY LIMITED TO SMALL NUMBER OF SEVERE CONDITIONS MENTALLY ILL BIZARRE AND DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL CAUSES UNKNOWN INSTITUTIONALIZED

CURRENT CONCEPTIONS

CURRENT CONCEPTIONS BEGAN WITH DSM-III (1980) - NOW NEARLY 400 CONDITIONS NOT JUST MOST SEVERE CONDITIONS BUT MANY DIFFERENT CONDITIONS

M.I. WIDESPREAD NO LONGER SEEN AS UNUSUAL BUT MANY PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THEM 50 PERCENT OF POPULATION OVER LIFETIME; 20 PERCENT IN ANY GIVEN YEAR

NORMALIZATION MENTALLY ILL NOT SEEN AS DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL MENTALLY ILL NOT CERTAIN KIND OF PERSON BUT NORMAL PERSON WITH PARTICULAR DISEASE

MEDICALIZATION EMOTIONS AND BEHAVIORS VIEWED AS MENTAL ILLNESSES TREATED BY PROFESSIONALS GENETICS AND BRAIN CHEMISTRY AT FAULT

TREATMENT

TREATMENT SSRI - SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS - “ANTI-DEPRESSANTS” HUGE INCREASE IN DRUG TREATMENT - 60 MILLION SCRIPTS 3 OF 7 MOST PRESCRIBED DRUGS

THERAPEUTIC CULTURE MORE PEOPLE IN TREATMENT AND MORE MENTAL HEALTH PROFS.

RATES OF TREATMENT

SUMMARY OF TRENDS FROM ONLY SERIOUS TO MANY CONDITIONS FROM RARE TO WIDESPREAD FROM STIGMATIZED TO MEDICALIZED

SUMMARY OF TRENDS FROM INSTITUTIONS TO OUTPATIENT THERAPY AND DRUGS FROM SEGREGATION TO PART OF CULTURE

WHERE DRAW THE LINE? ARE TOO MANY CONDITIONS MEDICALIZED NOW? HOW CAN WE SEPARATE WHAT’S M.I. FROM WHAT’S NORMAL?

SOPRANOS BEHAVIORS VIEWED AS DISEASES CHANGE OVER TIME FROM ROWDY TO SICK CONFLICT WITH MUCH LAY CULTURE RISE OF M.H. PROFESSIONALS TREATMENT NOT PUNISHMENT