Ethical Attitudes Toward Mental Health During The 18th Century

Over the past decades, the attitude towards Mental Health proved to be profoundly stigmatized. It was once believed that those with mental illnesses acquired demonic possession, and were the result of sorcery (Learning, pg. 1, para. 1). The people affected were isolated, punished, executed, exorcised and imprisoned for a matter they did not control. During the 18th century, Asylums were built in order to control the mentally ill (Unite for Sight, pg. 1, para. 1). Leaders of the Asylums incorporated unethical methods to treat the mentally ill, such as trephining-the method of poking a small hole into a person’s brain to release devils from the body- (Learning, pg. 3, para. 4). Other times, Lobotomy was used- a surgical procedure involving an incision done to the prefrontal brain-.
5, para. 7). Most mentally ill individuals placed in Asylums at the time were women, because women were often labeled “hysteric” if she dared to justify herself. Women had no equity and rebellion was often presented with significant penance which resulted in substantial quantity of women in Asylums (“History of Mental Health Treatment”, pg. 2, para. 5). Historically, individuals with mental illnesses were associated with a social stigma regarding the family's inability to raise up the social ladder. Families with a mentally ill individual were viewed as obtaining a “disabling hereditary condition in the bloodline” menacing the family’s honor (“A Beautiful Mind...”, pg. 4, para. 10). Thus, in former decades, many mentally ill individuals were stigmatized and treated with viciousness and