As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, WTOP presents “250 Years of America,” a multipart series examining the innovations, breakthroughs and pivotal moments that have shaped the nation since 1776.
Delta Dental Federal Government Program is proud to partner with WTOP to bring you this series.
Mental health has been widely misunderstood throughout history, often seen as a stigma rather than a condition that needs to be treated. In earlier societies, people experiencing mental illness were often isolated or subjected to extreme interventions and the care we see today did not exist.
However, over the past 250 years, the understanding of mental health has shifted drastically. What was once not widely discussed is now a cornerstone of public health, reshaping how we treat the mind as part of the body.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, mental illness was largely addressed through institutionalization in state mental hospitals, which were known as insane asylums. However, these hospitals were often overcrowded with poor living conditions for patients.
“People with mental health conditions were frequently placed in asylums where the focus was more containment, rather than treatment,” Dr. Pierluigi Mancini, interim president and CEO of Mental Health America, said. “There was very little scientific understanding of mental illness and stigma was even more profound than there is today.”
In the 20th century, reformers like Clifford Beers helped spark a national movement through his own lived experiences. During his time in both public and private institutions, Beers endured and observed severe mistreatment, Mancini said.
“So our founder, Clifford Beers, wrote his memoir ‘A Mind That Found Itself,’ where he very graphically described the maltreatment that he received, both at public and private institutions,” Mancini said.
These experiences inspired Beers to launch a reform movement, the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, which ultimately became Mental Health America.
Mancini noted that the movement gave birth to many other partner organizations that also address mental health.
“He helped expose those conditions and helped spark this movement that we have today that continues to be focused on reform, on dignity of the individual, and early intervention,” Mancini said.
The conversation surrounding mental health has continued to evolve over time, with society slowly but surely addressing mental health more.
In 1949, Mental Health America launched Mental Health Week, which later became Mental Health Month. Mancini called a transformative moment.
“It brought mental health out of the shadows into the public conversation, where we finally had a space where we can talk about mental health, we can talk about mental illness and we can talk about recovery,” he said.
Today, mental health is recognized as closely connected to physical well-being, shaping how individuals think, feel and function in their daily lives.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, individuals with depression are more vulnerable to chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Chronic stress can also further impact the body — increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and premature death.
Recent research also points to a link between mental and oral health. Findings from the National Library of Medicine link mental health conditions with tooth loss, periodontal disease and tooth decay. Additionally, mental health challenges can disrupt sleep, contributing to insomnia, nightmares and irregular sleep patterns.
“So mental health is foundational to everything that makes society function — education, workforce, productivity, family stability and community resilience,” Mancini said.
He highlighted how far society has come in dealing with a topic that was once deeply stigmatized, including greater access to treatments and medications.
“But the real measure of our progress is going to be whether every person, regardless who they are, where they came from, can experience mental health as a fundamental part of their well being,” Mancini said.
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