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Learning From History. History and Mental Illness. Early views (e.g. the Dark Ages) on mental health equated mental illness with demonic possession. Witchcraft Curses from the Gods “Treatments”: Some were left to their own demise Burning at the stake Torture. Asylums and Hospitals.
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History and Mental Illness • Early views (e.g. the Dark Ages) on mental health equated mental illness with demonic possession. • Witchcraft • Curses from the Gods • “Treatments”: • Some were left to their own demise • Burning at the stake • Torture
Asylums and Hospitals • Asylums usually housed the mentally ill, poor people, and other discarded members of society. • One notorious asylum is Bethlehem Royal Hospital (Bedlam) • Put patients on display like animals at the zoo • Inhumane treatment of patients • Poor living conditions
Treatments of Mental Illness • Blood letting • Ice baths • Insulin shock • Frontal Lobe Lobotomies • Electro-shock therapy
Early Leaders of Reform • Philippe Pinel and Jean-Baptiste Pussin: • Unshackled patients and pushed for more humane treatment of mentally ill. • William Turke: • Founded York Retreat where patients were treated morally. • Led to similar establishments in America • Dorothea Dix: • Social reform to remove mentally ill from prisons to their own hospitals. • Pushed for government funding of treatment facilities.
Using Psychology/Science for Social Control and Discrimination • Francis Galton: • Eugenics: selective breeding for improving the human gene pool • Mental traits are inherited (Galton was focused on IQ) • James Cattell: • Coined “mental test”, supported Galton’s idea of eugenics, promoted sterilization • Alfred Binet: • Intelligence test (original French version) • Robert Yerkes: • Army Alpha and Army Beta • Lewis Terman: • Translation of Binet’s Intelligence Test Standford-Binet
Using Psychology/Science for Social Control and Discrimination • IQ became the predominate means of “sorting” people in the early 1900’s • Goddard promoted screening immigrants at Ellis Island to prevent individuals with low IQ’s from entering U.S. • Interpretations of WWI recruit testing suggested racial differences in IQ • Placing students in schools
Mental Illness in 1930’s Germany • Action (Aktion) T4: • German physicians were instructed to euthanize mentally ill, mentally disabled, and physically handicapped individuals. • Applied to both children and adults • Parental consent at first for children; later without parental consent
Research in the Camps • Military Related Research: • Freezing/Hypothermia • High Altitude • Tuberculosis (TB) • Malaria • Sulfanilamide • Wounds • Sea Water • Poison • Limb Transplant • Various Infectious Diseases
Research in the Camps • Genetic Research: • Artificial Insemination • Sterilization Techniques • Physiology/Dissections • Mengele’s Twin Studies
Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment • The progression of syphilis (STD): • Primary Stage (up to 90 after infection) • Lesion and skin ulceration, usually at the point of contact • Secondary Stage (1-6 months after infection) • Skin rash, cold/flu-like symptoms (headache, soar throat, fever), weight loss • Latent Syphilis • Lack of signs and symptoms for extensive time, after the second stage symptoms have cleared • Tertiary Stage (a.k.a Late) • Tumor like growths, neurological issues, cardiovascular issues, affect internal organs • Neurosyphilis (affects CNS)
Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment • Background: • Syphilis was becoming an issue • No real understanding of the progression of the disease • A study was proposed to examine the effects of untreated syphilis • Major Orgs Involved: • U.S. Public Health Service (U.S. Gov’t) • Tuskegee Institute
Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment • Location: Tuskegee, Alabama • Participants: • N = 600 African American Males • 399 w/syphilis, 201 without • Low SES, low levels of education, rural area • Participants were enticed with Free medical examinations, meals, and burial insurance • No Informed Consent • Used an African American nurse to gain participant trust
Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment • 1930’s to 1970’s • Participants were told they’d be treated for “Bad Blood”. • Local doctors were told not to treat men in the study. • Participants given placebo pills • Penicillin withheld (most effective treatment) • Draft Board agreed not to treat men in the study
Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment • Results: • Many infected participants died from the disease and its complications (during the study) • Several wives and children infected • $10 million class-action law suit • Created a general distrust of health care officials
Milgram Experiment • The use of deception in research • Milgram wanted to know how powerful authority was to the individual. • Set up a “Learning” experiment, in which electric shocks would be give by the teacher (participant) upon the learner’s (an actor) incorrect responses. • The voltage meter marked with several levels of shock intensity (mild to lethal) • Most people will conform and follow orders to the extreme • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6GxIuljT3w (not the original study)
Stanford Prison Experiment (1971) • Zimbardo set up a Prison simulation with guards and prisoners. • How do people identify with roles? • Students in the roles (allowed to take their own actions): • Guards became abusive to prisoners • Prisoners acted out, planned escapes, rebelled • Zimbardo was the Prison Superintendent • A conflict of interest for objective research
Psychology and the Law • Competency and Insanity • Dusky v. US (1960) • Dusky Standard • Pate v. Robinson (1966) • Due process includes right to competency hearing • Drope v. Missouri (1975) • Cannot deny treatment/leave of absence • Fredak v. US (1979) • Cannot force defendant to plea insanity • Ford v. Wainwright (1986) • The mentally insane cannot be executed • Godinez v. Moran (1993) • Competency must be evaluated before council can be waived and a plea is entered
Psychology and the Law • Involuntary Confinement: • Jackson v. Indiana (1972) • Cannot hold people indefinitely • O’Connor v. Donaldson (1973) • Cannot confine individuals who are non-dangerous or capable of living on their own
Psychology and the Law • Medication and Forced Treatment: • Skinner v. Oaklahoma (1942) • Cannot force inmates to be sterilized before re-entry to the community • Rennie v. Klein (1978) • Patients have the right to refuse medication • Washington v. Harper (1990) • Can force medication if patient is dangerous to self or others • Perry v. Louisiana (1990) • Cannot force medication to carry out an execution