1969, not that long ago considering the area of Psychiatry and the general emotional well-being of the average human in America. By 1969 we were becoming more and more aware that mental illness was much more widespread than we originally thought. But like most everything – Psychotherapy wasn’t one-size-fits-all, and that was where the great strides were taking place.
By the 1960s Group Therapy became popular. Analysis became something of a hobby and the almost exclusive bragging rights of the upper classes. The stigma surrounding mental illness was slowly eroding and bookstores were overflowing with volumes on the subject. Gone were the days when someone seeking Psychiatric help would be committed to an institution with the chances of them actually leaving were slim to nonexistent.
By 1969 we were testing out new drugs for therapy – The most important development was the move away from residential institutions and the development of community services based on district general hospitals. Group approaches and therapeutic community methods, owing much to experiences treating psychiatrically ill service personnel during the Second World War, raised expectations of more successful treatments for some intractable conditions.
Also in the 1960s psychiatrists were becoming increasingly aware of the effects of the social environment on the mental health of the individual. We also had a lot of stress to contend with – a war in Vietnam – an upheaval in social customs – a burgeoning Women’s movement – the sexual revolution – pressures of work and the over-use of recreational drugs and an increasing dependence on alcohol.
It all added up to a ripe atmosphere for Modern Medicine to take centerstage. Some resistance, but we were at that place where we were in such a state of revolution that we were too far on the road to the Brave New World to turn back.
This episode of the nightly call-in talk radio show Night Call features Dr. Nathan Klein and he answers several of the questions regarding mental health and where we were as a society in dealing it. In. short, Psychiatry hasn’t failed, it was just spreading its wings in 1969
Enjoy the show.
