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Mental Health Stigma and Mental Health Background

Mental Health Stigma and Mental Health Background

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing behavior, cognition, and perception. Mental health also affects how we feel, act, and respond to situations. Good mental health leads to peace and happiness and guides your social relationships, anger issues, and self-control. Poor mental health causes depression and other mental health disorders, ruining your life and physical well-being. The recognition of the benefits of strengthening the relationship between mental and physical health was the reason mental health was given importance. If we talk about mental health background, it was first referred to as mental hygiene for a long time. But in 1908, the National Institute of Health reviewed the paper about the current concept of mental health, starting with the mental hygiene movement and the rest is what we talk about in the words below.

What is some background information about mental health?

A question usually comes to our minds: What is a Mental Health Background Check? What is the history of mental health? Was mental health always as important as it is now? Let’s discuss its history and get our answers.

The concept of mental health finds its roots dug into the developments in public health, including clinical psychiatry and other branches of knowledge. In 1946, the International Health Conference decided to establish the World Health Organization (WHO), and a Mental Health Association was founded in London. Before that, there were only concepts related to mental hygiene that were the term used in the 1800s.

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The First International Congress for Mental Hygiene was organized by the British National Association for Mental Hygiene in 1948. It provided a series of recommendations for mental health. Throughout the proceedings of the conference, health or hygiene, and mental health were used interchangeably, sometimes in the same paragraphs. As a result, in the 17 pages of recommendations, hygiene was merely used. So finally, the First International Conference for Mental Hygiene ended with the World Federation for Mental Health. This is the background for mental health.

Definition of Mental Health

In 1950, the WHO defined mental health in its terms. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is defined as:

“It is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.”

Freud defined mental health in his own terms. He believed that mental health can only be defined in meta-psychological terms. According to him, mental health is the ability to work and love.

What is the History of Mental Health Stigma?

In the 18th and 19th centuries, mental health was not given so much importance. People who were supposed to be mentally ill were considered to be possessed or under the spell of witchcraft. Mental illnesses were considered to be supernatural. The people who showed signs of mental illness were killed or locked away.

In the 20th century, when studies were done on mental health. People started to act normal towards mentally ill people. The mental health background of the study also shows that people feared individuals with mental illnesses.

Read More: Why Should You Know About Mental Health Awareness Color?

History of Mental Health Treatment 

Let’s go to the mental health background of the study for treatment. The perception in older times was that mental illnesses like depression were supposed to be caused by spiritual entities. Only possessed individuals were supposed to act like this, i.e., being sad and unmotivated all the time. Mentally ill people were also thought to be punished by God for their sins.

There was a time when epilepsy was considered to be the result of witchcraft, and there was only one solution for witchcraft: It was to burn the person. The other solution that was considered for these fatal mental diseases was exorcism.

Views on mental illnesses were so vast that asylums were created for mentally ill people. Anyone who showed signs of mental illness was sent to the asylum. People with psychosis were thought to be insane. There was no treatment for schizophrenia, so they were also sent to asylums.

In the early 1900s, people started to think that asylums were a poor way to treat mentally ill people. It is the time when psychiatry was introduced. Freud presented his ideas within the framework of the psychodynamic approach. This approach has given many methods to resolve mental illnesses including psychoanalysis, hypnosis, and psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy is essentially talking therapy, and it was then further divided into multiple types of talk therapies according to the situation. The main types of talk therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy, couple therapy, interpersonal therapy, marriage therapy, and many more.

Read More: Defining Severe and Persistent Mental Illness AKA SPMI Mental Health

Advanced Treatments for Mental Illnesses

Nowadays, there have been a lot of advancements in mental health treatments. From the treatment of bipolar disorder to insomnia, every mental disorder can be treated with modern technology. And now there are different ways and tools to treat mental health problems.

Telepsychiatry

Telepsychiatry is one of the best ways to treat mentally ill patients from the comfort of their homes. It involves a virtual meeting with the patient through video call or phone call, and discussing the issue with the psychiatrist and then the psychiatrist provides the solution, whether it is medicine or psychotherapy.

Psychological Therapies

In today’s digital world, there are different types of therapies used for the treatment of different mental illnesses. Whether you want therapy for anxiety or scheduling a session for PTSD, psychiatrists customize each session according to your needs. They have therapy for every problem. Whether you are having relationship anxiety or dealing with a trauma, we offer marriage therapy, couple therapy, or interpersonal therapy as well.

Lifestyle Changes

Sometimes your mental condition is not severe, so you cannot take medicine. That is the time when routine modifications can help you take control of your mental health. There are different activities for different types of problems that can help you improve your health. For example, when treating insomnia maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and performing physical activity can help you sleep well.

Read More: 5 Most Popular Songs About Mental Health

Key Takeaways from the History of Mental Health

  • Perceptions about mental health have changed over time because of the impartment of related knowledge.
  • The history of mental illness has changed because of the changes in the perception of people.
  • The background for mental health stigma has changed from blaming the individual to accepting them as equals in society.
  • The history of mental health treatment has evolved from asylums to advanced solutions like telepsychiatry, medications, and therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and couple therapy.

Mental Health Solutions at Solid Foundation Psychiatry

If you are dealing with mental health issues and looking for modern but effective solutions for your problem, Solid Foundation Psychiatry is your solution. We provide the best care and offer evidence-based solutions combined with complementary therapies customized to the needs of patients. Our professional team is dedicated to providing a supportive and healing environment towards your journey to wellness and mental growth.

Read More: Let’s Learn About Mental Health Bingo

Final Thoughts

Mental health background is a vast topic and has great importance in history. Its perception was changed because of knowledge. Background for mental health treatment changed from burning them alive to therapies and medications. Today, mental health is really important to survive. That is why, if you face any problem with mental health, contact Solid Foundation Psychiatry. We also provide telepsychiatry services if you cannot commute.

If you have any questions regarding our services or want to get our services, get in touch with us now!

Frequently Asked Questions

When did mental health services begin?

The term ‘mental health’ was first used in 1908. Before that, it was referred to as mental hygiene. It was the first time when psychiatric services were introduced. 

It was believed that mental disorder was a punishment from God and the only treatment used for mental illnesses was burning alive and sending the patient to asylums.

Telepsychiatry is a way of providing psychiatric services in a remote way through video or voice calls.

Stigma is when someone sees you in a negative way because of your mental illness.

References and Footnotes
  1. Institute of Medicine (US) Division of Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine. Mental Health Services in General Health Care: Volume 1: Conference Report: Summary of the Invitational Conference on the Provision of Mental Health Services in Primary Care Settings, April 2, 3, 1979, Washington, D.C.. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1979. II, BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222783/
  2. Bertolote J. The roots of the concept of mental health. World Psychiatry. 2008;7(2):113-6. doi: 10.1002/j.2051-5545.2008.tb00172.x. PMID: 18560478; PMCID: PMC2408392.
  3. World Health Organization: WHO. (2022, June 17). Mental health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
  4. History of Mental Health: Timeline, stigma & treatment. (n.d.). StudySmarter UK. https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/psychology/basic-psychology/history-of-mental-health/
  5. Mental health – causes, symptoms, treatment & help. (n.d.). SAMHSA. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health
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