Dorothea Dix

Mental illness has existed since ancient times, but most individuals at the time, including medical professionals, believed it was caused by demonic possession or angering the gods. Over time, there this view was debated and various treatments for mental disorders developed. Treatments such as herbal remedies, the “rest cure,” anti-psychotic drugs, and therapy were used and many psychiatric hospitals were established. The “rest cure” was criticized by female writers as it required patients to…

before we knew about mental health disorders, people suffering from these diseases often ended up in prisons. In the 1840’s, a woman named Dorothea Dix began to investigate the treatment of mentally ill in the prison system. She soon urged for the creation of institutions that would house and treat mentally ill, rather than condemn them to jail cells. Dix succeeded, and up until the 1950’s most mentally ill individuals were held in mental health institutions. However, these institutions were…

American society was morphed by the “market revolution” and the religious “Second Great Awakening.” These developments changed the role women played in their households, and carriers. Through flourishing jobs an era of women's rights also begun to occur. Women became unified politically, economically, and socially. Like any other movement there were diverse ideals which have influenced America to this day. These developments proved to be significant especially since they fought against the…

In 335 BC Aristotle suggested that the heart was in fact where mental information was processed. Eventually it came to be known that mental functions were actually processed in the brain and also people were beginning to discover that the brain can mess up. Mental illness was seen as a problem in society. As a problem that became more and more prevalent, people began to look for a solution. The only issue with looking for a solution was that no one had known where to look. The lack of medical…

“Nothing endures but personal qualities,” (Whitman, 2008, p. 115) conveys the core of a nursing leader. There are many qualities and characteristics, which determine the effectiveness of a nurse leader. In 1863, Walt Whitman’s experience and artistry of the written word uncovered the horrors of war. While attempting to find his war-injured soldier brother, he travelled to many military hospitals and convalescent homes. “The absence of any treatment for the heart and the soul [of the sick,…

During the nineteenth century there was a movement to reform institutions in the United States to state mental hospitals. An important individual in the reforming of America's mental institutions was a Massachusetts schoolteacher named Dorothea Lynde Dix. In her investigations of the privately funded institutions for the mentally ill that were only available for the wealthy, she discovered horrendous living conditions. Therefore she advocated for publicly funded state hospitals (Millon et al.,…

the issue of women’s rights would be brought to the world’s attention at the signing of the Declaration of Sentiments where the women highlighted all their grievances (Doc. H). Women were also crucial to reform movements like prison reforms where Dorothea Dix advocates for the re-education and separation of juvenile inmates and the formation of “insane” asylums for those with mental illnesses (Doc A). Women were also a huge factor in the fight for abolition and became the centerpieces of…

In the time of Democratic-Republican and Whig powers, the United States was a very split country with little harmony. The Democrats began to fight for their ideals and spread them across the United States, usually by starting reform movements; which gradually changed the American society very gradually into the beliefs of the Democratic Party. These acts took place mostly in 1825 to 1855 and greatly changed the nation. Some movements such as the Women’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, the…

During the nineteenth century women had minimal power in society, for instance, working outside of the home, or having a say in the government. Though the minimalist power for women has been in mental health. Women were put into asylums mostly by men due to not behaving the way society wanted them to behave. Furthermore, in 1892, a short story published by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, called “The Yellow Wallpaper”, challenged the thought of how women should behave in society, from sexual freedom,…

The antebellum period saw several reform movements take place. There were movements for temperance, public school reform, abolition of slavery, women’s rights and dealing with poverty, crime and the mentally ill. The various reform movements that took place during this time achieved varying levels of success. The temperance movement initially began with a goal to reduce the alcohol consumption of Americans. This changed when Lyman Beecher condemned any use of alcohol at all. Evangelical…