One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest: A Psychological Analysis
When asked to picture a mental institution, many opeople picture Jack Nicholson's infamous Randle Patrick McMurphy and Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. In earlier days, the oppressive behavior of the nurse may have been an accurate description. Currently, things are much different because of HIPAA laws and Recipients Rights, both of which protect patients privacy, rights, and ensure the best possible care of the patient. Another contributing factor to the improvement of mental institutions and the mental health field in general is the more focused schooling that psychologists and psychiatrists must complete. Mental Institutions have a very long past, and that past hasn't had a very good impact on its reputation. Around
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In the mid-1950s, the number of hospitalized mentally ill individuals in Europe and American peaked. In England there were nearly 150,000 in 1954. In the United States, the number peaked at 560,000 in 1955. Toward the mid-1960s, many seriously mentally ill people were removed from institutions. The patients in the United States were directed toward local mental health facilities, and the number of patients in institutions dropped from 560,000 to 130,000 in 1980. A major reason the numbers dropped so dramatically was because of anti-psychotic drugs--they helped many patients lead more successful lives. One negative that came from releasing so many from the institutions was that many people became homeless because there was inadequate housing and there was no follow-up care. (Gaffney, 2002). Because so many people were released from the institutions, many closed in the 1970s and 1980s and others were converted to "short-stay" treatment centers. In 1963, the Community Mental Health Centers Act provided federal money for developing a network of community-based mental health services. (Science Museum,
In the mid-1950s, the number of hospitalized mentally ill individuals in Europe and American peaked. In England there were nearly 150,000 in 1954. In the United States, the number peaked at 560,000 in 1955. Toward the mid-1960s, many seriously mentally ill people were removed from institutions. The patients in the United States were directed toward local mental health facilities, and the number of patients in institutions dropped from 560,000 to 130,000 in 1980. A major reason the numbers dropped so dramatically was because of anti-psychotic drugs--they helped many patients lead more successful lives. One negative that came from releasing so many from the institutions was that many people became homeless because there was inadequate housing and there was no follow-up care. (Gaffney, 2002). Because so many people were released from the institutions, many closed in the 1970s and 1980s and others were converted to "short-stay" treatment centers. In 1963, the Community Mental Health Centers Act provided federal money for developing a network of community-based mental health services. (Science Museum,