Mental Health in the 20th Century

In the 20th century, attitudes towards mental health and the treatment of mental illness evolved significantly.

The rise of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy as well as advancements in neuropsychiatry and psychopharmacology led to a shift away from inhumane treatments and towards more humane and evidence-based approaches.

The development of new medications, such as antipsychotics and antidepressants, also had a significant impact on the treatment of mental illness.

Community-based mental health care and deinstitutionalization, which aimed to move people with mental illness out of institutions and into the community, became more common. Despite these advancements, however, stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness remained widespread, and many people still received inadequate or ineffective treatment.