May is Mental Health Awareness Month & Why We Should be Thankful It Is
A history of the mental health movement...
Most of us can remember when mental health wasn’t a term in our societal norms. Only mental illness was and it referred to extremes such as schizophrenia or addiction. No one spoke about anxiety and depression. Everything was lumped into “having a nervous breakdown.”
When the internet and social media started to become mainstream it’s not that everyone, all of a sudden, had the vocabulary to name their afflictions.
So how did we get to where we are today? Here’s where the calls for change began and the other subtle shifts that finally turned the tide for our nation:
Point of Origin:
In 1900, after the death of his brother, Clifford W. Beers was treated for manic depression and placed in a mental institution. During his treatment he also attempted suicide. Subsequently, for the next three years he drifted between both private and public hospitals where he and other patients suffered horrific abuse.
Clifford went on to write a book accounting this experience in A Mind that Found Itself which ended up becoming a bestseller and created awareness for much needed reform within the psychiatric system from both medical professionals and the public.
In 1909 Mr. Beers established the National Committee for Mental Hygiene now known as Mental Health America1. MHA initiated Mental Health Week in 1949 which eventually expanded into an entire month.
Public state mental hospitals were deemed as the most egregious, and in 1955 the process of deinstitutionalization began2. The first stage was to try new antipsychotic medication and depending on a patient’s response then they would be evaluated on if they could be released.
Deinstitutionalization was not a swift or easy process and this transition would span into the 1990’s. This posed additional issues for outpatient services, housing, and jobs….
The Crusaders Begin Their Advance:
In 1977 Mrs. Rosalyn Carter became honorary chair of President Carter’s Commission on Mental Health and was tasked with reporting on how, “the mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, and mentally retarded” were being treated and how to improve their conditions both within civilization and for those who were still inpatients3.
While MHA focused on policy reform through government agencies and agendas, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)4 was established in 1979 by uniting hundreds of families and doctors who had been employing their own local efforts to take a stand against the shame and prejudice that they were facing with mental illness (mostly schizophrenia) existing somewhere within a household.
From the Carters’ work, the Mental Health Systems Act5 passed in 1980 producing funding for treatments at local community centers.
Beginning to Open Minds:
PBS’s Frontline released a documentary in 1986 A Matter of the Mind which profiled a halfway house in St. Paul, Minnesota6. NYT television critic John Corry wrote, “…it is the apparent normalcy, or near normalcy, of the residents that seems so striking.”7
1987 Patty Duke revealed in her autobiography that she suffered from manic depression (present day known as bipolar) and later testified before Congress to lobby for the importance of much needed funding for more research.8
1988 Rain Man debuted and went on to win Oscars for Best Screenplay and Best Picture.
In July of 1989 with the urging of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Advisory Councils of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, President George Bush signed a presidential declaration making it, “The Decade of the Brain”.9 Along with the Library of Congress, its purpose was "to enhance public awareness of the benefits to be derived from brain research.”
This influenced other countries to adopt similar movements as well and produced several discoveries10:
Neural imaging known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
The importance of early physiological development in children which led to introducing pre-K
Neural plasticity - how neural networks are formed and can be rewired
A next generation of drugs for antipsychotics and antidepressants
1993 President Bill Clinton as well as Hillary both worked to pass legislation to guarantee that mental health services would be covered by insurance citing, “contrary to persistent myth, mental illnesses are both real and definable.” Additionally, “…a growing body of research" is proving to show successful treatment.11
The late-‘80s and 1990’s saw new representation of characters being incorporated into tv and film with Benny in LA Law (’87), Life Goes On (’89), Hand That Rocks the Cradle (’92), Benny & Joon (’93), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (’93), and Forrest Gump (’95).12
1999 Tipper Gore wrote an op-ed in USA Today admitting to dealing with depression.13
Stepping Up with Science:
The American Psychological Association then initiated The Decade of Behavior14 in 2001 to study “the best ways to improve health and education and promote safety and a prosperous society” with behavioral science. By 2006 NIH hosted an event to showcase various innovations researchers had uncovered in:15
How to protect health and prevent disease with diet and nutrition
Reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS
Enhancing memory in the elderly
Better treatments for alcohol, autism, chronic pain, depression, diabetes and drug abuse
These advances created another crusade in 2007 termed, The Decade of the Mind.16 Its mission was focused on enhancing public health with additional research in the fields of psychology and cognitive medicine.
This led to another initiative in 2013 by the Obama administration, BRAIN (Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) funded an initial $110 million to researchers with the mission to “to deepen understanding of the inner workings of the human mind and to improve how we treat, prevent, and cure disorders of the brain.”17
Some of the advancements included:18
Neuroscientists pinpointed the cells in the brain that are responsible for spatial abilities
Discovered how to turn specific neurons on and off with designer drugs
Deep brain stimulation was found effective in treating OCD, stroke recovery, binge eating, and depression
Found how memories are stored, separated, and retrieved
Final Thoughts:
It’s the collision of both medical advancements and allowing mental health to have a public platform that has slowly given all of us a better quality of life.
Even at a societal level, what was once a more superficial existence, this evolution has empowered us to connect at a much deeper degree.
Our mental well-being is the cornerstone to our humanity. It’s the source for self-compassion, it plays a role in our capacity for consciousness, and it ultimately allows us to live authentically. Without understanding our own, we can’t comprehend others.
If you’re interested in learning more about mental health or how you can help click here for resources provided by MHA.
** ❤️ this post if you’re celebrating Mental Health Awareness this month!**