treated more humanely and some were allowed to eventually leave the asylum. Mental asylums in the late 1800s were developed in the US, which were more humane. Electroshock therapy was first used in the middle of the 1900s and was initially not very humane. People were not anesthetized and the treatment was often painful. Electroshock therapy remains in use today but it is done with anesthesia and better safety measures. Antipsychotic drugs were first used in the 1950s and were often very helpful. Asylums were closed in the 1960s and patients were treated in a community setting. Nowadays, many people are treated at community mental health centers. Most people are seen as outpatients. The downside is that some patients with severe psychotic disorders do not seek this type of treatment and are left homeless with a lack of mental health services. In fact, the incidence of mental illness among the homeless is about 25 percent. There is also a high percentage of people in prison who have mental health disorders. State psychiatric hospitals do exist but focus on short-term care of patients who have psychiatric crises. Other patients are treated because they are required to do so by the criminal justice system. While treatment exists for mental disorders, it is not always accessible. Some patients, particularly those who live in rural or poverty-stricken areas, cannot find quality treatment. In some places, mental health treatment is not acceptable or not accessible to people who need it. There has been legislation in recent years to improve the accessibility and insurability for mental health problems.
TYPES OF THERAPY The two main types of treatment for mental health disorders are psychotherapy and biomedical therapy. Psychotherapy involves several treatments used to help individuals with emotional issues. Biomedical treatment involves the use of medications or procedures used to manage psychiatric issues from a more biological perspective. There are several types of psychotherapy you should know about. These include the following:
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