Week 1: Priority of MH and Care and Contemporary Models of Care

Question 1

What is the Humoural Theory?

Answer 1

Ancient Greek and Roman perspective on mental illness
Hippocrates 460-370 BC
Psychological distress natural phenomena not supernatural cause
Imbalance of 4 humours in the body: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile
Daily journalling as a form of self help

Question 2

What were the historical perspectives on mental illness during the Middle Ages (5th-14th Century) and Renaissance (15th-17th Century)?

Answer 2

People affected by the moon (“lunatic”)
People affected were witches, heretics or evil
Asylums: confinement of mentally ill
Jails used due to overcrowding

Question 3

What were the historical perspectives on mental illness during the 18th Century?

Answer 3

French physician Dr Pinel: moral treatment of mentally ill

USA Quakers: principles of faith, ‘milieu therapy’ or peaceful recovery which is still used today

Question 4

What were the historical perspectives on mental illness during the 19th Century?

Answer 4

Lunacy Act 1845:
Increased staffing, some standards
Segregation of genders
Patients supervised while performing work
Still a lot of deprivation, coercion and treatment from Middle Ages

Question 5

What is the history of lunatic asylums in Australia?

Answer 5

First asylum opened in Castle Hill in 1811, overcrowded by 1825
Gladesville Hospital opened 1837
Each state then began building their own psychiatric services

Question 6

What were the historical perspectives on mental illness during the 20th Century?

Answer 6

Post WWII
Anti-depressants invented and used
Anti-psychotics followed
People discharged after decades on institutionalisation
1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights
Mid 1950’s: de-institutionalisation movement
1991: WHO Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness
1992 Australia: National Mental Health Strategy overhauled mental health system and guided programs and activities

Question 7

What was the effect of the Burdekin Report?

Answer 7

1993 Australian Report of the National Inquiry into the Human Rights of People with Mental Illness
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission remains interested in mentally ill people’s experiences of:
access
equity
effectiveness
efficiency