HISTORY OF

PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
 DEFINITION

the study of psychological and

behavioral dysfunction
occurring in mental disorder or
in social disorganization
Psycho = mental
Pathos = suffering
Logos = the study of
 BEFORE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Causes of mental illness included:

- Supernatural causes such as demons and demonic
possession.
- Witchcraft and sorcery.
- Mass hysteria.
- Melancholy and stress.

Treatments for mental illness included:

- Exorcism.
- Trepanation.
- Shaving the pattern of a cross in the head-hair.
- Believe that those suff ering from mental illness
could benefi t from hearing mass.
- Drinking ice-cold water.
 HIPPOCRATES

Father of Western Medicine

First to accept the biological model
of illness (physical + mental)
Humourism mental illness caused
by imbalance in the 4 humours
4 humours black bile, phlegm,
blood, yellow bile.
Prescribed naturalistic remedies
mineral baths, fresh air, proper diet
Hippocratic Oath
 HYSTERIA

GREEK: UTERUS
Women
move ment of a woman's uterus to various locations within her
body
Cure? - Aroma therapy
- Vibrators
By mid 19 t h ce ntury: Hysteria = Sexual dysfunction
Tre atment? Massage of patients ge nitalia
Je an-Martin Charcot hereditary psychological
Hysteria and hypnotism
Fre ud - unconscious mind's attempt to protect the patient from
psychic stre ss
TODAY: phrase for an uncontrollable outburst of emotion
Wide range of psychological disorders from panic attacks t o
schozophrenia
 DARK AGES

After the fall of the Roman Empire was the return of

the supernatural approach
Caused regression to belief in magic, mysticism and
demonology
Origin of mental illness not known assumed to be
caused by witchcraft
Late 15 t h century Pope Innocent the VIII issued a
Papal Bull that authorized the systematic persecution
of witches.
Suggested treatments of the bewitched: Exorcism,
confession, prayer repetition of holy scripture, visit to
holy shrines and participation to church ceremonies.
 WITCH HUNT

At beginning of 13 t h century, mentally ill (women)

were persecuted to be witches that were possessed.
Between 15 t h to 17 t h century Protestant Reformation
Witch Hunts at their peak
Malleus Malefi carum (1486)
Mid to late 16 t h century - Johann Weyer and Reginald
Scot
Banned by Churchs Inquisition
Declined in the 17 t h to 18 t h century, by then 100,000
presumed burned at the stake.
 THE GOLDEN AGE OF ISLAM

Meanwhile Islam was growing more powerful

Al - Razi
One of the fi rst known physicians to describe
psychotherapy
appointed the director of the hospital in Baghdad, he
established a special section for the treatment of the
mentally ill.
 AL-RAZI

Took detailed patient histories

Had keen observational skills
Treatment psychotherapy, diet and
drugs
Treated patients with respect, care
and empathy
Upon discharge given fi nancial
help for immediate needs
Known for contributions to ethics
set clear standards for the
professional practice of physician
Al-Hawi & al-tibb al-ruhani (healing
the spirit)
 THE MOST INFAMOUS ASYLUMS

Bethlem Royal Hospital & Hpital Bictre (France)

In 1547 TheBethlem Royal Hospital Of London,
(Bedlam) admitted its fi rst mentally ill patients.
Bethlem was and is best known for the fact that it
also allowed public and casual visitors with no
connection to the inmates
 INSIDE BEDLAM ASYLUM

Violent patients were put on display like

sideshow freaks for the public to peek at for the
price of one penny
gentler patients were put out on the streets to
beg for charity
Treatments
Rotational therapy induced vomiting
Bloodletting
dunked in cold baths, starved, and beaten
Refused patients who were deemed too frail to
handle the treatments
Patients were clad in a harness with chains
running into the wall and into an adjoining room.
 IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATMENT

Benjamin Rush humane treatment

- bloodletting and use of rotating
and tranquilizing chairs as treatment

Philippe Pinel appointed director of Hpital Bictre

 MORAL TREATMENT

Patients are human beings

They deserve to be treated with dignity
Their condition had a cause, and possibly,
a
cure.
Conversation, counsel, and purposeful
activity
could foster healing.
They should receive as much autonomy as
possible.
 MORAL TREATMENT DEMISE

Strangely the individual care and attention central to

Moral Treatment vanished as more mental hospitals
were built.
Dorothea Dix led the charge for more hospitals in the
mid-1800s.
But bigger hospitals, run by MDs, led to less solo,
psychological care and more meds.
 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY TODAY

Despite all our progress, residential mental

health care lags in eff ectiveness
Too often just provides a minimum of
protection, comfort, and medication
Not much actual treatment
Still chronic overcrowding is common
stigma associated with mental illness.
For the criminally insane, it is incorrect to
imply that real treatment evidence-based
and eff ective is being or even can be -
truly carried out in correctional facilities.