History of Mental Health in America

An era of honorable treatment was introduced from Europe at the discharge of the nineteenth century, representing the first of the reform movements in psychological wellness services in the United States (U of T Library). The first reformers, including Dorothea Dix and Horace Mann merchandise the idea that psychological illness could be treated by moving the individual to an asylum to receive a intermix of somatic and psychosocial treatments in a controlled environment characterized by moral sensibilities (Smith). The term moral had a connotation different from that of today. It meant the collapse of the individual to reason by the application of psychologically orient therapy. The moral treatment period was characterized by the building of esoteric and public asylums. Almost every state had an asylum employ to the primordial treatment of mental illness to liveore mental health and to keep patients from becoming chronically ill. object lesson treatment accomplished the former objective, but it could not prevent chronicity (Mandell). Moral treatment was influenced by social norms, religious legal opinions, medical expertise, scientific theory, and demographic characteristics. Key components of moral treatment included: the belief that insanity is a curable disease of the brain, total isolation in order to avoid stress from society, a tranquilize yet firm routine of work words discipline, a gloomy yet firm routine of work, recreation, and rest will develop self-discipline, as well as the belief that causes of and solutions to insanity rest with society (Jones).



Shortly after the Civil War, the failures of the promise of early treatments were recognized and asylums were built for untreatable, chronic patients. The quality of care deteriorated in public institutions, where overcrowding and underfunding ran rampant.

Progressive Era reformers believed that mental illness was the product of environmental factors, as well as the fact that it was both preventable and progressively...

You have written a good history of mental health in America and I would only designate that you add a bibliography so that others might do advertise research should they do desire.

If you want to get a rich essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com



If you want to get a full essay, wisit our page: write my paper