Psychiatric care deals with the provisions and services provided to individuals with mental disorders between the age of 18 and 65 in any given population. Each country has its own set up of psychiatric care facilities ad institutions that vary depending on various factors such as socio-economic development of the country, cultural factors, medical facilities etc.
History of Psychiatric Care:
Understanding the abnormal behavior over the centuries has not proceeded smoothly or uniformly. The steps have been uneven and with great gaps between unusual and bizarre views or beliefs that have often sidetracked researchers and theorists. The dominant social, economic and religious views of the times have had a profound influence over how individuals view abnormal behavior as have advances in the physical and biological sciences. A general movement in the field of understanding can be traced away from superstitions and ‘magic’ toward reasoned, scientific studies.
In the ancient world superstitions were followed by the emergence of medical concepts in many places such as Egypt and Greece. Many of these concepts were developed and refined by Roman physicians. With the fall of Rome near the end of the fifth century AD, most Europeans returned to superstitious views which dominated popular thinking about mental disorders for over 1000 years. In the 15 th and 16 th centuries, it was still widely believed, even by scholars that mentally disturbed people were possessed by a devil.
During the latter stages of the middle ages and early Renaissance, a spirit of scientific questioning reappeared in Europe and several noted physicians spoke out against inhumane treatments, arguing that ‘possessed’ individuals were actually ‘sick of mind’ and should be treated as such. With this recognition of a need for the special treatment of disturbed people came the founding of various ‘asylums’ toward the end of the 16 th century. However, with institutionalization came the isolation and maltreatment of mental patients. Slowly, this situation was recognized and in the 18 th century further efforts was made to help afflicted individuals by providing them with better living conditions and humane treatment, though these were likely the exception rather than the rule.
Modern Psychiatric care:
In the 19 th century great technological discoveries and scientific advancements were made in the biological sciences that aided in the understanding and treatment of disturbed individuals. Our modern scientific views of abnormal behavior have several historical branches — biological, psychodynamic and psychological.
The development of a psychiatric classification system by Kraeplin played dominant role in early development of the biological viewpoint. Kraeplin’s work helped to establish the importance of brain pathology in mental disorders and made several related contributions that helped establish this viewpoint.
The first major steps toward understanding psychological factors in mental disorders were taken by Sigmund Freud. During five decades of observation, treatment and writing, he developed a theory of psychopathology known as psychoanalysis that emphasized the inner dynamics of unconscious motives.
The beginnings of the 20th century saw experimental psychology evolve into clinical psychology with the development of clinics to study as well as intervene in abnormal behavior.
