A process involving the closure of large psychiatric institutions and a transition to community-based mental health care. In the United States, this movement was significantly propelled by legislation like the Community Mental Health Act of 1963. The impact was substantial, leading to a 92% reduction in the percentage of the population housed in public psychiatric hospitals between 1955 and 1994.

Deinstitutionalization

Signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, this piece of U.S. legislation fundamentally altered the country's approach to mental health care. It provided federal funding for the creation of community mental health centers, laying the groundwork for treating individuals locally rather than in large, isolated asylums.

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Despite the efforts of activists, asylum opened in the United States suffered also from hygienic issues and inhumane treatments of patients. It wasn't until 1983 that large asylums were closed (deinstitutionalization began) and alternative measures in helping and treating mental health problems were being considered.

Asylum in the United States

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

You can learn more about the timeline of mental health treatment in the United States here: https://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/37146/A-History-of-Mental-Institutions-in-the-United-States/#vars!date=1810-07-03_14:51:59!

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