Historical perspective of mental illness and stigma
If the term mental disorder is considered, it explicitly communicates that “mental”, is something different from a “physical” disorder. Our mind is seen as something that makes us who we are and provides us with our deepest human qualities. Therefore, disturbances in the mind are most often perceived differently from physical illnesses. Just a few decades ago it created perceptions such as that a person with mind disturbances is not fully human (Hinshaw, 2007). Even though perceptions of mental health have greatly changed throughout time as a result of advances and knowledge in this field, there still remains much room for improvement to understand the human mind and mental illness.
Appreciation of the past can help inform individual’s and society’s current efforts to understand and reduce stigma associated with mental disorders. However, this section does not aim to provide a comprehensive overview of history and trends of mental illness, but rather to provide a selective review and point out some historical views and origins that most likely have influenced perspectives and beliefs we hold today. |