Jennifer Carstens
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Most of treatments began with the belief that
the affected person had an evil sprit in them,
which was making them act abnormally.
The cure was to rid the spirits from the
person’s body by means of trephination.
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Cutting into a person’s skull, typically done to
people to experience extremely abnormal
behavior (hearing voices, hallucinations, etc)
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Greeks and Romans identified many
psychological disorders such as melancholia,
mania, dementia, hysteria, delusion, and
hallucinations.
Focus was placed on the “Four Fluids”, Blood,
yellow bile, black bile, and Phlegm.
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The middle ages were classified as a time in
extreme expansion of spiritualism and
urbanization, but a contraction of science and
medicine.
Mental illnesses were seen as a struggle
between “good” and “bad”
The Dark Ages received its name from ongoing
plagues and war, which led to mass madness.
Tarantism, Lycanthropy, and Exorcism were
common during this time.
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A condition where groups of people would
start singing, convulsing, dancing, and rip off
their clothing.
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A condition where people believe that they are
an animal and begin acting as such (howling,
barking, pawing, etc)
Some people would even claim that they could
feel course hair growing from all over their
body.
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An act where a member of the clergy tries to
get a demon out of someone who is believed to
be possessed.
This is typically done by beating, starvation,
repetitive bible readings, and prayer.
Done in all major religions.
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Characterized as a time of extreme cultural and
scientific growth, and a decline of religious
influence.
Rise of Asylums and specializations in mental
health care.
Johann Weyer- first physician to specialize in
illnesses of the mind.
First religious mental health facility- Gheel
Belgium
First medical mental Asylum- Bethlehem
Hospital, Spain.
Believed that the mind was susceptible to
illness, just like the body.
 First physician to specialize in the treatment of
the mentally ill.
 His most influential work is De Praestigiis
Daemonum et Incantationibus ac
Venificiis (On the Illusions of the
Demons and on Spells and Poisons)
published in 1563
 One of the only to speak out
against persecution.
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One of the foremost important places for
mental health (loving, humane approach).
Classified as a community asylum, that was
supported by the church and community.
Fell due to lack of interest.
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In this asylum, patients were bound in chains.
During certain phases of the moon, patients
would be lined up and whipped in order to
prevent violence.
The hospital became a tourist attraction, where
people would pay to look at the howling and
gibbering imamates
Lunatics' Towers, Vienna
La Bicetra in Paris
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Continues to be a hospital
Shock treatmentsthrowing someone
in ice cold water in
order to “shock”
their body.
Rotating ChairPlacing someone in a
chair, where they
were spun around
multiple times till
they became sick.
CribPatients in asylums
were forced to stay
in enclosed “cribs”.
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Benjamin Rush, Dorothea Dix, and Nellie Bly
were major reformers for Mental health.
Few hospitals were being built, the already
built mental institutions were overcrowded.
America became more interested in mental
health care, and health care reform.
Mental illness began to be seen as genetic
diseases
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Pioneered several medical tools, such as a
centrifuge.
Pioneered Occupational Therapy as well as a
moral theory when dealing with the ill.
Discovered Savant Syndrome
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Lobbied on behalf of the mentally insane
Created Legislation for the first established
state mental asylums
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Actual name: Elizabeth Jane Cochran
Checked herself into a boardinghouse, where
she pretended to have amnesia and have
hallucinations, then was taken to a courtroom.
Upon examination, doctors said she was a lost
cause “Undoubtedly insane”, and sent her to
Bellevue Hospital Center where she
experienced living conditions first hand.
She was released after 10 days and wrote, 10
Days in a Mad-house, which launched a federal
investigation
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The 1900’s were a time for revolutions in
Hospitalization, Moral Management, as well as
Society Cooperation & Interaction.
Early treatments included: lobotomies and
primitive forms of electroshock therapy