History of Mental Illness and Treatment

Ancient Theories Widespread belief in supernatural and magical forces as cause of mental illness –Exorcism – removal of evil that resides in an individual, usually by counter-magic or prayer. Trephination –Cutting a hole in the skull to remove pressure –Evidence that people considered illness organic

Ancient Greece Hippocrates –Looked to the brain as the explanation of our behavior Egyptians had thought the heart was the core of mental life –Studied epilepsy, depression, psychosis, irrational fears, and hysteria. –Therapeutic techniques emphasized: Rest, bathing, dieting –Hippocratic Oath – taken by doctors when they graduate from medical school

Middle Ages  Renaissance During a time dominated by the Catholic Church, superstitious beliefs in devils and demons were very strong. –At the same time, Church charities often provided care for the mentally ill. Idiot – inborn illness Lunatic – mental disabilities not from birth

Enlightenment (Age of Reason) Reason and the scientific method finally replaced superstition as primary way of understanding the world. –Anton Mesmer invention of hypnosis

Late 1700s – 1800s While research and treatment continued, society placed an emphasis on removal of the mentally ill, which gave rise to insane asylums. Bedlam Hospital – after an investigation into the “madhouses of England,” Bedlam became the prototype of the injustices of mental hospitals.

Restraints “Straight Jacket”

Restraints

Emerging Treatments Rocking Chair Therapy

Reform Movement Philippe Pinel – Moral Treatment –Kind treatment –-minimum or restraint Benjamin Rush –Signer of the Declaration of Independence –Father of American Psychiatry Dorothea Dix –Civil War nurse, campaigned against poor treatment of the mentally ill, especially restraints.