Learning Log

I would have to conclude, given the historical account provided by the text, that the mentally ill are often treated inhumanely when economic resources are low. Initially I would have thought that etiological theories would have played a greater part, with belief in supernatural causes for mental illness resulting in more cruel treatments than with belief in natural causes. However this does not seem to be a particularly significant factor. Supernatural theories of demonic possession have been linked with both compassion (e.g. ancient Egypt) and torture (e.g. Europe during the Middle Ages) (Firestone & Marshall, 2003). Similarly, natural theories have involved both humane (e.g. Europe during the early Renaissance period) and inhumane treatment (North American institutions prior to the 1970s) (Firestone & Marshall, 2003). On the other hand, there do appear to be several instances of particularly cruel treatment that seem to have been related to economic factors. For example, patie...