{"timeline":{"defaultZoomLevel":"2","height":600,"asset":{},"date":[{"asset":{"caption":"Zde - CC BY-SA 4.0,","thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a99a05dbf120.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"CC BY-NC-SA","title":"Double trepanation on the skull of an old man.","version":"4.0","source":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Double_trepanation_on_the_skull,_The_Celts,_NM_Prague,_188008.jpg#\/media\/File:Double_trepanation_on_the_skull,_The_Celts,_NM_Prague,_188008.jpg","author":"Zde","year":"2018"},"width":5132,"height":3421},"credit":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=69764658"},"startDate":"-6500","headline":"Prehistoric Times- Supernatural Explanation","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

In prehistoric societies, unusual or distressing behaviour was explained as the work of evil spirits, demons, or angry gods.<\/p>\n\n

One practice was trephination<\/strong>, which involved cutting or drilling a hole in the skull using stone tools. Some believe this may have been done to allow a spirit to leave the body.<\/p>\n\n

Archaeological evidence shows that trephination <\/strong>was practiced as early as ~6500 BCE<\/strong>. Spiritual beliefs strongly influenced how people understood and responded to unusual behaviour and mental distress.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Mental illness was seen as something external and supernatural<\/strong>, rather than as a physical or psychological problem.<\/p>\n"},{"asset":{"caption":"Impy priest of Ptah-E 17365","thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a99a5c562a73.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"CC BY-SA","source":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Impy_priest_of_Ptah-E_17365-Impy_priest_of_Ptah-E_17365-IMG_2934-white.jpg#\/media\/File:Impy_priest_of_Ptah-E_17365-Impy_priest_of_Ptah-E_17365-IMG_2934-white.jpg","title":"Impy priest of Ptah-E 17365","version":"3.0"},"width":4500,"height":4500},"credit":"By Rama - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 fr, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=86828273"},"startDate":"-3000","headline":"Ancient Cultures - Exorcism as Treatment","text":"

Early Greek, Hebrew, Egyptian, and Chinese cultures also used supernatural explanations for mental illness. Exorcism<\/strong> was used to remove what was believed to be an evil spirit.<\/p>\n\n

Methods included prayer, magic, flogging, starvation, unpleasant drinks, and loud noises.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Treatment focused on removing the supposed supernatural cause rather than treating mental illness as a health problem.<\/p>\n"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a99a84f376f8.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"CC BY-NC-SA","title":"Bust of Hippocrates","version":"4.0","source":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Bust_of_Hippocrates._Wellcome_M0002760.jpg"},"width":2497,"height":4337},"credit":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Bust_of_Hippocrates._Wellcome_M0002760.jpg","caption":"Bust of Hippocrates"},"startDate":"-460","headline":"Hippocrates - A Natural Explanation","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

The Greek physician Hippocrates<\/strong> argued that mental disorders had natural causes<\/strong>, just like other illnesses. He believed these problems were connected to the brain<\/strong> and could result from disease, injury, or hereditary factors.<\/p>\n\n

Hippocrates described conditions such as melancholia, mania, and phrenitis<\/strong>. His theory of the four bodily fluids, or humors<\/strong>, suggested that illness occurred when these fluids became unbalanced.<\/p>\n\n

Although his theory was eventually proven wrong, his approach marked an important change: mental illness was increasingly seen as a medical condition rather than a punishment from the gods or a moral failing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Hippocrates helped move explanations of mental illness from the supernatural toward the medical<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","endDate":"-377"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a99aa9dc6073.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"CC BY-NC-SA","title":"Platon-Skulptur, Louvre","author":"CherryX per Wikimedia Commons","source":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Louvre,_Plato-Sculpture.jpg","version":"3.0"},"width":960,"height":1440},"credit":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Louvre,_Plato-Sculpture.jpg#\/media\/File:Louvre,_Plato-Sculpture.jpg","caption":"Platon-Skulptur, Louvre"},"startDate":"-460","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

Greek philosopher Plato <\/strong>argued that people with mental illness should not be blamed or punished for their actions. He believed that early experiences and the social environment<\/strong> could influence mental health and that people should be treated with care.<\/p>\n\n

In Rome, physician Asclepiades<\/strong> challenged some of Hippocrates\u2019 ideas and promoted more humane approaches, including diet, exercise, massage, music, and pleasant surroundings<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

Cicero<\/strong> also suggested that emotions such as grief, fear, and anger could contribute to melancholy.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Greek and Roman thinkers began looking beyond the body to consider emotions, experiences, and the social environment<\/strong> in understanding mental illness.<\/p>\n","headline":"Greek and Roman Perspectives","endDate":"-43"},{"asset":{"caption":"Illustration of the setup of a Milgram experiment.","thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a99ad2d4d526.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"PD","title":"Portrait of Galen.","source":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Galenus.jpg","author":"The Lancet"},"width":469,"height":776},"credit":"The Lancet- Georg Paul Busch (engraver)"},"startDate":"129","headline":"Galen - Physical and Psychological Causes","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

The Greek physician Galen <\/strong>believed that mental illness could have both physical and psychological causes<\/strong>. Building on Hippocrates\u2019 ideas, he linked mental disorders to the brain and the body\u2019s humoral balance, but also recognized the role of emotions and life experiences.<\/p>\n\n

Galen suggested that factors such as fear, shock, intense emotions, head injuries, and alcohol use<\/strong> could affect mental health. He saw conditions such as melancholia and mania as having more than one possible cause<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Galen recognized that mental illness could result from an interaction between physical and psychological factors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","endDate":"200"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a9b4b29cc262.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"PD","title":"Modern portrait of Ibn Sina"},"width":2294,"height":2957},"credit":"By National Library of Medicine - https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nlmhmd\/54093321223\/, No restrictions, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=168831766","caption":"Modern portrait of Ibn Sina"},"startDate":"500","endDate":"1000","headline":"The Islamic Golden Age - Advancing Medicine","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

Between 500 and 1000 AD, medical scholarship in Western Europe declined, although some Greek medical knowledge continued to be preserved. Meanwhile, scholars in the Islamic world <\/strong>translated Greek medical texts into Arabic and expanded on them. <\/p>\n\n

Physicians such as Rhazes (al-Razi)<\/strong> and Avicenna (Ibn Sina)<\/strong> described conditions resembling depression, psychosis, mania, and obsessive states. Hospitals were developed to care for people with mental illness, using baths, music, herbal remedies, diet, and supportive conversation.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> During the Islamic Golden Age, scholars preserved and expanded Greek medical knowledge<\/strong> and developed early forms of hospital-based care for mental illness.<\/p>\n"},{"asset":{"credit":"By Jules & Jenny from Lincoln, UK - Canterbury Cathedral, window nXV detailMarks, Richard (2006) Stained Glass in England During the Middle Ages, Taylor and Francis, p.\u00a0121, 123 ISBN: 978-1-1349-6750-6., CC BY 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.ph","thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a99d41aef017.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"CC BY","version":"2.0","author":"Jules & Jenny from Lincoln, UK","title":"A medieval stained glass panel from Canterbury Cathedral, c.\u20091175 \u2013 c.\u20091180, depicting the Parable of the Sower, a biblical narrative","source":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Middle_Ages#\/media\/File:Canterbury_Cathedral,_window_nXV_detail_(46220634195).jpg"},"width":3114,"height":3114},"caption":"A medieval stained glass panel from Canterbury Cathedral, c.\u20091175 \u2013 c.\u20091180, depicting the Parable of the Sower, a biblical narrative"},"text":"

<\/p>\n\n

During the Middle Ages<\/strong>, the growing power of the Church shaped how mental illness was understood. It was once again commonly associated with possession by the Devil, sin, or divine punishment<\/strong>. Exorcism, prayer, fasting, and pilgrimages were again used for treatment.<\/p>\n\n

Medical explanations continued as well. Physicians used Greco-Arabic medical theories<\/strong>, including the idea that mental illness could result from an imbalance in the four humours or problems with the body.<\/p>\n\n

People with severe mental illness might be cared for by families, religious communities, or hospitals, while others faced confinement, harsh treatment, and stigma<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Supernatural and medical explanations coexisted<\/strong>, but religious beliefs became increasingly influential.<\/p>\n","headline":"The Middle Ages - A Return to Supernatural Beliefs","startDate":"1000","endDate":"1500"},{"asset":{"credit":"https:\/\/wellcomecollection.org\/works\/pggfn738 CC-BY-4.0","caption":"The dancing mania","thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a99d63fc884f.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"CC BY-SA","source":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:The_dancing_mania_Wellcome_M0014846.jpg#\/media\/File:The_dancing_mania_Wellcome_M0014846.jpg","title":"The dancing mania","version":"4.0"},"width":2833,"height":3906}},"text":"

<\/p>\n\n

During the late Middle Ages, Europe experienced episodes of \u201cmass madness,\u201d<\/strong> in which groups of people exhibited similar unusual behaviours. Examples included lycanthropy<\/strong>, tarantism<\/strong>, and the broader phenomenon known as dancing mania<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

Lycanthropy involved people believing they had become wolves or were under a wolf\u2019s influence. Tarantism, mainly reported in southern Italy, involved an uncontrollable urge to dance and jump<\/strong>, believed to be caused by a spider bite.<\/p>\n\n

At the time, these events were linked to demons, witchcraft, or divine punishment<\/strong>. Today, historians have suggested that extreme stress, famine, disease, war, and other difficult circumstances<\/strong> may have played a role.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Mental distress can be influenced not only by individuals, but also by the beliefs, fears, and circumstances of the society around them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","headline":"The Middle Ages - Mass Madness","startDate":"1300","endDate":"1600"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a99d8b06a53e.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"PD","source":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fall_of_Constantinople#\/media\/File:Fall-of-constantinople-22.jpg","author":"Theophilos Chatzimichael - https:\/\/ardin-rixi.gr\/archives\/5898","title":"Painting of the Fall of Constantinople, by Theophilos Hatzimihail"},"width":1920,"height":1595},"credit":"Theophilos Chatzimichael - https:\/\/ardin-rixi.gr\/archives\/5898","caption":"Painting of the Fall of Constantinople, by Theophilos Hatzimihail"},"startDate":"1350","headline":"Late Middle Ages - A Shift Back Toward Science","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

The Black Death, famine, and war<\/strong> created widespread fear, grief, and distress across Europe. These difficult conditions also led some people to question traditional explanations for suffering.<\/p>\n\n

During this period, medical and natural explanations<\/strong> for illness, including mental illness, became more prominent again. Religious explanations remained important, so the two approaches often co-existed.<\/p>\n\n

Governments <\/strong>began taking a greater role in hospitals and public health, although the Church continued to have significant influence.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> The late Middle Ages saw a gradual return to medical and natural explanations<\/strong> for mental illness, even as religious beliefs remained strong.<\/p>\n","endDate":"1500"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a99dacb00422.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"PD","source":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Renaissance#\/media\/File:Da_Vinci_Vitruve_Luc_Viatour.jpg","author":"Luc Viatour","title":"Vitruvian Man"},"width":2258,"height":3070},"credit":"Luc Viatour \/ https:\/\/Lucnix.be","caption":"Vitruvian Man"},"headline":"Renaissance and Humanism","startDate":"1400","endDate":"1600","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

During the Renaissance, humanism<\/strong> placed greater emphasis on human dignity, reason, and the value of the individual. This encouraged people to think more about human experiences and well-being, rather than focusing only on sin or divine judgment.<\/p>\n\n

This changing perspective supported more humane and natural explanations<\/strong> of mental illness. Some thinkers began to emphasize observation, compassion, and practical care rather than relying only on prayer, punishment, or exorcism.<\/p>\n\n

Supernatural beliefs remained common, but the growing focus on the individual and human welfare<\/strong> helped set the stage for later changes in mental health care.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Renaissance humanism encouraged a more humane and individual-focused view<\/strong> of mental illness.<\/p>\n"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a9a0a35740d1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"CC BY-SA","source":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:The_Hospital_of_Bethlem_(Bedlam)_at_Moorfields,_London;_seen_Wellcome_L0012307.jpg#\/media\/File:The_Hospital_of_Bethlem_(Bedlam)_at_Moorfields,_London;_seen_Wellcome_L0012307.jpg","version":"4.0","title":"The Hospital of Bethlem [Bedlam] at Moorfields, London"},"width":4000,"height":2697},"credit":"https:\/\/wellcomecollection.org\/works\/mnq7gdyt CC-BY-4.0","caption":"The Hospital of Bethlem [Bedlam] at Moorfields, London"},"startDate":"1547","headline":"The Asylum Era Begins","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

In 1547, Bethlem Hospital in London<\/strong> was officially designated to care for people with severe mental illness. It became one of the best-known institutions of the emerging asylum system<\/strong>, as governments took on more responsibility for people who could not be cared for at home.<\/p>\n\n

Bethlem, later known as Bedlam, <\/strong>became notorious for its poor conditions and harsh treatment. Some patients were chained or confined, and the hospital was often overcrowded and unsanitary.<\/p>\n\n

Horrifically, in the late 16th century, members of the public could also pay to visit and observe patients.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Asylums were created to care for and confine<\/strong> people with mental illness, but many became places of neglect and mistreatment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","endDate":"1800"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a9a0d1c00ab7.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"PD","author":"Anne-Louise Moreau","source":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Philippe_Pinel#\/media\/File:Philippe_Pinel_(1745_-_1826).jpg","title":"Philippe Pinel, portrait by Anna M\u00e9rim\u00e9e"},"width":450,"height":558},"caption":"Philippe Pinel, portrait by Anna M\u00e9rim\u00e9e","credit":"Anne-Louise Moreau, dite Anna M\u00e9rim\u00e9e (1775-1852), mother of Prosper M\u00e9rim\u00e9e - Bridgeman Art Library"},"startDate":"1793","headline":"18th Century- The Moral Treatment Movement","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

In 1793, French physician Philippe Pinel<\/strong> became an important figure in the movement toward more humane treatment of people with mental illness. He argued that people needed respect, freedom, fresh air, and better living conditions<\/strong>, rather than harsh restraint and punishment.<\/p>\n\n

His approach, known as moral treatment<\/strong>, emphasized dignity, conversation, observation, purposeful activities, exercise, and hygiene. These ideas spread across Europe and North America and influenced the way people with mental illness were cared for.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Dignity, respect, and humane care<\/strong> became important parts of treatment, marking a shift away from harsh and punitive practices.<\/p>\n","endDate":"1820"},{"asset":{},"text":"

<\/p>\n\n

By the late 19th century, Public asylums had become overcrowded as more people were admitted. Limited funding and staffing made individualized care increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n\n

As a result, care often focused more on confinement and control<\/strong> than on recovery. Restraints, sedation, and limited treatment became more common, and some groups faced poorer conditions because of prejudice and discrimination<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Humane treatment became difficult to maintain when asylums became overcrowded, underfunded, and focused on control rather than individualized care<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","headline":"Late 19th Century \u2013 Fall of Asylums","startDate":"1870","endDate":"1910"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a9a11ea3aeaf.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"PD","author":"Unknown author - Munchener Medizinische Wochenschrift (1926)","title":"Kraepelin in his later years","source":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emil_Kraepelin#\/media\/File:Emil_Kraepelin_1926.jpg"},"width":837,"height":1245},"credit":"Unknown author - Munchener Medizinische Wochenschrift (1926)","caption":"Kraepelin in his later years"},"startDate":"1883","headline":"Kraepelin and the Classification of Mental Disorders","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin<\/strong> developed a new way of classifying mental disorders based on patterns of symptoms, how disorders developed over time, and their long-term outcomes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

One of his most important contributions was distinguishing dementia praecox<\/strong> (later called schizophrenia) from manic-depressive illness<\/strong> (which included bipolar and recurrent depression). His work helped establish the systematic classification of mental disorders used in psychiatry today.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Kraepelin helped move psychiatry toward systematic diagnosis and classification<\/strong>, laying the groundwork for modern diagnostic systems.<\/p>\n","endDate":"1920"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a9a22d3ce51b.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"PD","source":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Franz_Anton_Mesmer.jpg#\/media\/File:Franz_Anton_Mesmer.jpg","title":"Franz Anton Mesmer"},"width":1000,"height":1335},"credit":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Franz_Anton_Mesmer.jpg","caption":"Franz Anton Mesmer"},"startDate":"1774","text":"

<\/p>\n\n

In 1774, Franz Anton Mesmer<\/strong> proposed that an invisible force, which he called \u201canimal magnetism,\u201d flowed through the body and that disruptions in this force could cause illness. His treatments sometimes produced trance-like states and appeared to relieve symptoms.<\/p>\n\n

Later research showed no evidence of a magnetic fluid and suggested that imagination, suggestion, and social influence<\/strong> could explain some of the effects. In 1843, James Braid<\/strong> developed the term \u201chypnotism\u201d and linked these effects to focused attention and suggestion.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Mesmerism helped draw attention to the possibility that psychological processes could influence physical and emotional symptoms<\/strong>, opening the door to new psychological approaches.<\/p>\n","headline":"Mesmer and the Psychological Alternative","endDate":"1843"},{"asset":{},"text":"

<\/p>\n\n

In 1857, physicians suggested that general paresis<\/strong>, a condition involving serious mental and physical symptoms, might be caused by syphilis. At first, this idea was controversial, but evidence gradually supported it.<\/p>\n\n

By 1913<\/strong>, researchers had confirmed that syphilis could affect the brain and cause severe psychiatric symptoms. This was an important discovery because it showed that physical diseases could sometimes cause mental and behavioural changes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> The discovery strengthened the biological view of mental illness<\/strong>, showing that some psychiatric symptoms could have a clear physical cause.<\/p>\n","headline":"The Biological Perspective Returns","startDate":"1857","endDate":"1913"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a9b4c27a07ca.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"PD","title":"Freud, c.\u20091921","source":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sigmund_Freud#\/media\/File:Sigmund_Freud,_by_Max_Halberstadt_(cropped).jpg"},"width":1647,"height":2240},"credit":"By Max Halberstadt - https:\/\/www.christies.com\/lotfinder\/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=6116407, Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=64082854","caption":"Freud, c.\u20091921"},"text":"

<\/p>\n\n

During the late 19th century, Josef Breuer<\/strong> used hypnosis to help patients recall upsetting experiences from their past. He found that, in some patients, remembering and emotionally experiencing these events could bring relief from their symptoms.<\/p>\n\n

Breuer's work influenced Sigmund Freud<\/strong>, who became interested in the idea that unconscious experiences and emotions could contribute to psychological symptoms. Their work helped lay the foundation for what became known as the \u201ctalking cure.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Mental illness was increasingly explored through a person's past experiences, emotions, and unconscious processes<\/strong>, rather than only through physical causes. <\/p>\n","startDate":"1880","endDate":"1895","headline":"Uncovering the Unconscious - Breuer and Freud"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a9b4ca76b9ba.png","mime":"image\/png","copyright":{"license":"PD","source":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chlorpromazine#\/media\/File:Chlorpromazine-3D-balls.png","title":"Ball-and-stick model of the chlorpromazine molecule"},"width":1030,"height":1100},"credit":"By Ben Mills - Own work, Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=4219841","caption":"Ball-and-stick model of the chlorpromazine molecule."},"text":"

<\/p>\n\n

Beginning in the late 1940s, psychiatric medications<\/strong> became an important part of mental health treatment. In 1949, lithium <\/strong>was found to reduce mania, leading to its use as a mood stabilizer.<\/p>\n\n

In 1952, chlorpromazine<\/strong> (Thorazine<\/strong>) became the first widely used antipsychotic and helped reduce severe symptoms and the need for restraint. During the 1950s and 1960s, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications<\/strong> were also introduced.<\/p>\n\n

These medications did not cure mental illness, but they helped many people manage their symptoms and live outside institutions<\/strong>, contributing to the growth of community-based care.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Psychiatric medication became a major part of mental health care and helped change how severe mental illness was treated.<\/p>\n","startDate":"1949","headline":"Psychiatric Medications","endDate":"1965"},{"asset":{},"text":"

<\/p>\n\n

Beginning in the 1950s, psychiatric medications, criticism of large mental hospitals, rising costs, and new policies led to deinstitutionalization, <\/strong>the movement of people out of long-term psychiatric hospitals and into the community.<\/p>\n\n

The goal was to replace large hospitals with community mental health care, but many planned services were never fully developed or funded.<\/p>\n\n

For many people, this meant an end to long-term institutionalization and greater access to community care. However, limited support left some people struggling with homelessness, unstable housing, or involvement with the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> Mental health care shifted toward community-based care, but the support needed to make the transition successful was often lacking.<\/p>\n","headline":"Deinstitutionalization","startDate":"1950","endDate":"1990"},{"asset":{"thumbnail":{"path":"images\/thumbnail-6a9a32ed73c76.png","mime":"image\/png","copyright":{"license":"CC BY-SA","source":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Biopsychosocial_Model_of_Health_1.png#\/media\/File:Biopsychosocial_Model_of_Health_1.png","author":"MrAnnoying - Own work","title":"3 \u2044 3 More details Biopsychosocial Model of Health 1","year":"2022","version":"4.0"},"width":1161,"height":1080},"credit":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Biopsychosocial_model#\/media\/File:Biopsychosocial_Model_of_Health_1.svg","caption":"Biopsychosocial Model of Health 1"},"text":"

<\/p>\n\n

Today, mental illness is understood through a biopsychosocial approach<\/strong>, recognizing that biological, psychological, and social factors can all influence mental health. Treatment has also improved, with greater use of medication, therapy, community services, and public education.<\/p>\n\n

However, stigma and unequal access to care remain major challenges. Cost, limited services, discrimination, and shortages of mental health professionals can make it harder for some communities to get the help they need.<\/p>\n\n

Key idea:<\/strong> We have come a long way in understanding and treating mental illness, but there is still work to do to make care accessible and equitable for everyone.<\/p>\n","headline":"Mental Illness Today","startDate":"2000"}],"language":"en","headline":"The History of Mental Illness","text":"

\n\t
Ideas about mental illness have changed throughout history. Early societies explained unusual behaviour through supernatural beliefs. Later philosophers looked for physical, psychological, and social causes. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\n
\n\t
This timeline follows the main changes in how mental illness was understood and treated over time.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","backgroundImage":{"path":"images\/backgroundImage-6a999bf058256.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","copyright":{"license":"CC BY-SA","author":"W.carter","version":"4.0","year":"2017","title":"Rainbow-colored\/iridescent clouds during a snowfall over G\u00e5seberg, Lysekil Municipality, Sweden."},"width":4864,"height":3648}}}

History of Mental Illness

Description

Elham Satvat, PhD