Mental Asylums In The 19th and 20th Centuries in America: Treatments of Oppression and Despair
Location
Janet Ayers Conference Room JAAC 4094
Presentation Type
Presentation
Start Date
27-9-2022 11:00 AM
End Date
27-9-2022 12:15 PM
Description
The treatments for people with mental disorders developed in the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries often did more harm than good. This was especially the case for those patients with less power in society. A “Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum” was approved by the Georgia legislature in 1837, and Georgia’s Central State Hospital, known simply as “Milledgeville,” eventually became the largest mental hospital in the world with over 12,000 patients by the middle of the 20th century. This presentation will cover some of the ill-conceived and harmful treatments and practices used in psychiatric hospitals of the period and the effects these had on a marginalized patient population. Dr. Sullivan’s psychological training included experiences in clinical settings, psychiatric hospitals, and maximum security forensic psychiatric units in Georgia, Ohio, Virginia, and Illinois.
Recommended Citation
Sullivan, Bryce, "Mental Asylums In The 19th and 20th Centuries in America: Treatments of Oppression and Despair" (2022). Humanities Symposium. 9.
https://repository.belmont.edu/humanities_symposium/2022/2022/9
Mental Asylums In The 19th and 20th Centuries in America: Treatments of Oppression and Despair
Janet Ayers Conference Room JAAC 4094
The treatments for people with mental disorders developed in the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries often did more harm than good. This was especially the case for those patients with less power in society. A “Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum” was approved by the Georgia legislature in 1837, and Georgia’s Central State Hospital, known simply as “Milledgeville,” eventually became the largest mental hospital in the world with over 12,000 patients by the middle of the 20th century. This presentation will cover some of the ill-conceived and harmful treatments and practices used in psychiatric hospitals of the period and the effects these had on a marginalized patient population. Dr. Sullivan’s psychological training included experiences in clinical settings, psychiatric hospitals, and maximum security forensic psychiatric units in Georgia, Ohio, Virginia, and Illinois.
Comments
The Theme of September 27 is "Integrative Approaches to Health/Wellness"
Convocation Credit: Emotional/Physical Well-Being