Question

3. How has societal viewpoints concerning mental illness or health influenced human services over the past three centuries?

Answer 1

Wow, what a loaded question. Perhaps without society's concern for mental health people would more than likely still be subject to electric shock therapy, | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-shock_therapy | homosexuality would still be considered a mental disorder. | http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_mental_health.html | Woman would still be suffering from "female hysteria" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_hysteria. There are tons of ways society has altered the human services offered toward the 'mentally ill'. Now more than ever, instead of punishing them we seek to help them. We no longer believe epilepsy is caused by 'demons' or that most mental disorders are a result of a 'demon'. For society has gradually moved away from religion becoming much more humanistic in nature. Society as a whole has changed and thus changed other aspects of the world or life if you will.