Tracing the Evolution of Psychiatric Institutions in the U.S.

The Development of Psychiatric Institutions Student’s Name: Institutional Affiliation: Abstract The development of psychiatric care has been closely associated with the improvements in general health services in the United States. However, lack of understanding and knowledge on the experiences of mentally ill persons had hindered the care of patients prior to the 18th century. While communities and families were tasked with meeting the needs of the mentally ill, they were hardly able to provide adequate care. In most cases, the mentally ill were exposed to abuse and neglect since their families were unable to meet their needs. Initial institutions were private facilities that cared for the wealthy in return for donations used to expand the care for physically ill patients. Mental health asylums managed by the public sectors originated in the 18th century and were facilitated by the lobbying of researchers in the field. A key prominent figure was Dorothea Dix who conducted extensive research on the experiences of mentally ill individuals particularly in incarceration. Her work led to revelations on the level of abuse faced by these persons during care. Additionally, lobbyists presented the proposals for improvement based on the experiences in other countries. Expanding the access to mental health services led to challenges as the institutions were overwhelmed with the number of patients especially after the 1930s. The early 20th century led to the understaffing of institutions and lack of quality care for the mentally ill persons in the United States. The late 20th century was a critical period that saw the increase in funding for these facilities and improved training for the nurses offering care to the patients. With the 21st century, the experiences of healthcare professionals working with the mentally ill persons has been a key driver to the improvements in the care of the mentally ill. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 History of Psychiatric Care 4 Moral Treatment for Patients 5 Mental Asylums 6 Dorothea Dix 7 Decline in the Late 19th Century 9 The Economic and Personnel Crisis 10 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction Psychiatric care plays a critical role in meeting the needs of patients and offering a hospitable environment for the persons in need of these services. Through extensive research and the application of findings in psychiatry in care, there has been a significant improvement in the experiences of mentally ill persons. The development of psychiatric care demonstrates the origin of the sector and how it has experienced changes over the years. Prior to the introduction of formal institutions to meet the people in need of these services, family members and communities were responsible for the care of mentally ill individuals. Eventually towns established programs to care for the patients but the individuals offering these services lacked the experience and training to provide these services (Giacco et al., 2017). The influence of individuals such as Dorothea Dix led to the advocacy and pollical lobbying that gradually led to the modern mental health care facilities in the country. Research on the experiences of mentally ill persons was fundamental in the improvement of care for individuals requiring psychiatric services. History of Psychiatric Care The history of psychiatric care is closely related to that of hospitals in the United States. The public support for healthcare facilities led to the development of institutions meant to care for the mentally ill patients. In the 18th century, mentally ill persons, like the physically ill, remained at home where they were offered the care that they needed by their close family members. For most families, the closest people to mentally ill persons were tolerant to the behaviors that others would view as strange (Apolinário-Hagen, Kemper, & Stürmer, 2017). However, some viewed the mentally ill persons as too violent and intolerable leading to their prolonged stays in hospitals. Public and private institutions in the 19th century provided special facilities and wards for the mentally ill men and women admitted in these institutions. One of the goals was to separate these individuals from the rest of the community while providing them with the care they needed (Modak, Sarkar, & Sagar, 2016). However, private institutions use depended on the funding from the wealthier families who wanted the institutions to offer care to their family members. Such findings were use