Mental Health in the the 19th Century

In the 19th century, mental health was often treated inhumanely and considered a moral failing.

People with mental illness were often locked away in asylums or prisons.

They were subjected to physical and psychological abuse. They were also subjected to inhumane treatments such as lobotomies and hydrotherapy.

The medical understanding of mental illness was limited, and treatments were often based on superstition and conjecture rather than scientific evidence. It was not until later in the century that reforms were implemented and the field of psychology and psychiatry began to develop.