History of Psychiatric Hospitals

The history of psychiatric hospitals was once tied tightly to that of all American hospitals. Those who supported the creation of the first early-eighteenth-century public and private hospitals recognized that one important mission would be the care and treatment of those with severe symptoms of mental illnesses.
- Source: Penn Nursing School – University of Pennsylvania

Ten Days in a Mad House

In 1887, 23-year-old reporter Nellie Bly had herself committed to a New York City asylum for 10 days to expose the horrific conditions for 19th-century mental patients. Read her piece of investigational journalism here.
- Source: Project Gutenberg

America’s 3 Largest Psychiatric Facilities Are Jails

In jails and prisons across the United States, mental illness is prevalent and psychiatric disorders often worsen because inmates don’t get the treatment they need. Journalist Alisa Roth investigates the widespread incarceration of the mentally ill in the U.S., and what she sees as impossible burdens placed on correctional officers to act as mental health providers when they’re not adequately trained.
- Source: NPR

A History of Mental Illness

Mental illness affects every one of us in some way – whether it’s you or a friend. We have come a long way in our understanding of mental health, but there’s still so much we don’t know. Take a look at the history of mental health treatment in the United States and the stigma that is still sometimes connected to mental illness today.
- Source: PBS

Mental Asylums Of Decades Past

These harrowing photos look inside mental asylums of the 19th and 20th centuries and reveal just how disturbing their conditions once were. Caution, some of these images may be disturbing to some viewers.
- Source: All That’s Interesting

A New Way to Help Young People

Tom Osborn wants more young people to have access to the mental health support they need. He and his team are training 18- to 22-year-olds to deliver evidence-based mental health care to their peers in Kenya — which has only two psychiatrists for every million people. Hear how his community-first, youth-oriented model could become a template to help kids across the world lead successful, independent lives.
- Source: TED

Mental Health Care for African Americans: A Short History

Learn about the mental health service and policy measures that neglected and rose to meet the needs of African Americans. Recognize patterns of misdiagnosis, over reliance on medication and restricted forms of care and disparities and how they persist and influence care for African Americans to this day.
- Source: Black Past