Questions and Answers
According to the text, what percentage of the population was sleeping in a mental hospital on an average night in 1990?
What did Senator Daniel Patrick Mo moam argue was the larger public policy consequence of the mental health crisis?
What does the text suggest about the nation's awareness of the events that had brought on the mental health crisis?
What was the percentage of the population sleeping in a mental hospital on an average night before 1990?
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What does the text imply about the current state of the mental health crisis?
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Which term was only used in the late 1970s to describe a new underclass of people living on the streets?
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What is recognized as a key component in the causes of homelessness?
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What percentage of the homeless population have or need treatment for mental illness?
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Who led The Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health in the early 1960s?
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What act implemented the plan of converting large state mental hospitals into long-term care centers for chronic diseases, including mental illness?
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Study Notes
The Origins and Consequences of Deinstitutionalization of the Mentally Ill
- The term "homeless" was only used in the late 1970s to describe a new underclass of people living on the streets.
- The causes of homelessness are debated, but mental illness is recognized as a key component.
- 30 to 40% of the homeless population have or need treatment for mental illness.
- The deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill can be traced back to the recommendations of The Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health, led by Jackie Walt in the early 1960s.
- The commission's report recommended converting large state mental hospitals into long-term care centers for chronic diseases, including mental illness.
- President Kennedy supported the plan and declared reliance on custodial isolation would be replaced by community concern and capability.
- The Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963 implemented the plan, but it was never fully realized due to lack of funding and political will.
- The introduction of the drug Thorazine in 1954 offered hope for pacifying patients outside institutions, but its use had unintended consequences.
- Discharges from mental hospitals began in northern states and gradually spread, with many patients ending up on the streets.
- Families became unable to cope with discharged patients, leading to non-compliance with medication and increased homelessness.
- The development of microprocessor technology in the 1970s further contributed to deinstitutionalization.
- The expansion of Social Security benefits in 1972 provided financial support to the mentally disabled, accelerating the deinstitutionalization process.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the Origins and Consequences of Deinstitutionalization of the Mentally Ill. Explore the history, causes, and effects of this significant societal shift that led to an increase in homelessness and the challenges faced by individuals with mental illness.
