History Module

View Mental Health and Psychiatric Hospitals in US in a larger map
This map shows where there are hospitals that currently treat patients with mental illnesses and disorders in the United States.

Abbreviated history of psychology
In the Stone Age mental illnesses and disorders were treated with trephination (holes drilled into skulls), human skulls were found.
Ancient Egyptian remains also attest that trephination was their practice as well.
430-337 B.C. Ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates believed the brain to be the source of mental disorders.
500-1450 Middle Ages, western society decides that possession by demons were the source of mental disorders and illnesses.
1547 A hospital is established in London for the mentally ill called an asylum.
1693 Witch hunting begins in the US, this had been going on decades previous in Europe. Thousands would be killed in witch trials, some even suggest more people killed than in the Holocaust (see film Burning Times).
1793 Phillipe Pinel is credited with treating asylum patients more humanely.
1842 Dorthea Dix spearhead movement to reform mental hospitals in the United States.
1883 Emil Kraeplin likens mental disorders to physical diseases in published textbook.
1892 American Psychological Association is founded.
1900 Sigmund Freud publishes book about dream interpretation.
1948 Alfred Kinsey publishes report about the sexuality of American males and females.
1949 First medication used for mental disorder, lithium is given to patients with bipolar disorder.
1952 Diagnostic Statistical Manual published to help diagnose patients with specific disorders. Originally begins with only 40 disorders, most recent edition has over 300.
1965 Aaron Beck publishes book proscribing therapy and cognitive theory for depression treatment.
1973 DSM stops listing homosexuality as a mental illness.
1987 Prozac approved for treatment of depression in the US.