How has the approach to mental health improved over the last 100 years?

Our First Opinion Piece this year, under the theme ‘Mental Health’:

The 20th century has witnessed some of our most significant discoveries and advancements, both technologically and socially. We went to space, created the computer and launched the internet. We grew more understanding, giving rights to women, people of colour and LGBTQ individuals. We started thinking about climate change and the future of our planet.

In this essay, however, I will explore a topic less widely discussed but just as important: how the approach to mental health has improved over the last 100 years.

At the beginning of the 20th century, psychology looked very different to the occupation we know today. Many psychological associations were only beginning to open in major universities, and we had a very poor understanding of mental health.

Back then, people viewed psychology mainly as the study of behaviours; it was more focused on experiments and finding out how the mind works than catering to the individual well-being of others. The answers to how to deal with ongoing mental health issues at this time had very weak solutions. For example, going to the spa and getting a manicure or smoking cigarettes were seen as remedies.

This road of psychology continued until 1952 when we started to see a shift in the field. The American psychological association published a book called ‘The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ (DSM). It laid out guidelines for how to diagnose people with mental disorders, and pioneered using psychology to understand people and, in later years, to help them. 

In 1973 homosexuality was removed from the DSM. In the 70s, if you had a mental health issue, there weren’t many places to receive help. Maybe you could see a therapist, but the solutions to help you cope with your struggles were not quite there yet. 

Psychology only started to reach its current modern standards in the 90s, as the public became more aware of mental health issues. Campaigns advocating for the awareness of mental health grew more prominent.

In the 21st century, therapists and mental health professionals are more accessible than ever. Our modern understanding of psychology has been created, and the days of tying autistic and bipolar people to radiators are gone. People now have more access to systematic help and coping mechanisms. Schools have become a safe space with the hiring of counsellors. Psychology is more advanced than ever before. 

– By Dakota