Introduction
It is important to note that mental health conditions have always been vulnerable to stigmatization and discrimination. The main reason is the lack of knowledge and understanding of what causes and how to treat them. Cultural, social, and scientific views and interpretations of mental health disorders changed between the Middle Ages and the twentieth century through causal understanding, new terminology, and social acceptance, whereas classifying disorders as epidemics is inaccurate.
Cultural Change
Culturally, since the Middle Ages, mental health disorders have been viewed in a stigmatized and discriminatory manner until recently. In the Middle Ages, there was a torture culture, which shifted to stigma later, and only in the 21st century were mental health diseases viewed as they are – illnesses. Even though the terminology used to define and describe mental illness differed from 20th-century definitions, a wide array of symptoms were clearly elucidated by medieval sources1. The descriptions of the Middle Ages’ conditions have invariably been interpreted as depictions of schizophrenia, eating disorders, psychosis, and depression. Most of the individuals suffering from mental health conditions in the Middle Ages were thought to be possessed. As a result, they were punished and tortured in an attempt to relieve them of their afflictions2. It is evident that there was very little understanding of the causes and effects of mental illness. In addition, madness, as the condition was commonly termed, was evidently a visual and public spectacle. Therefore, torture, discrimination, and stigmatization were prevalent for most of history when it came to mental illnesses.
Social Changes
Socially, people with mental illnesses were isolated, ridiculed, and vilified. Although social isolation in some conditions might be necessary even today, these acts of history were done for the wrong reasons. In other words, people with mental illnesses were barred because their conditions were personalized rather than being recognized as disorders. In the Middle Ages, the manner in which the conditions were addressed varied depending on the philosophical and religious beliefs of the patient as well as the caregiver. The secular legal traditions of Western Europe in the Medieval Era emphasize the fact that some mentally ill individuals were not persecuted for criminal offenses3. In Europe, the mentally ill were pitied and vilified, while Islamic and Byzantine traditions considered them to be holy fools who had to be respected4. It is worth considering the fact that widespread beliefs in demonology during medieval times meant that many mentally ill individuals were persecuted in some regions while they were cared for in others.
Scientific Interpretation Change
Scientifically, mental health diseases were interpreted differently than today, indicated by definitions, terms, and contextual descriptions. With the development of science on mental conditions, the perceptions and views of mental health have changed significantly since the Middle Ages. The latter period primarily used religious connotations, such as demonology, or social isolationist perspectives, such as madness. However, since then, the twentieth century has been characterized by the contextualization of mental health in legal, religious, and scientific terms. Illnesses were reviewed based on causative factors, and treatments were designed based on scientific findings. Psychologists have identified the fact that mental experiences originate in the brain. However, there were some individuals who proposed an alternative view of the condition. For instance, Swiss-American psychiatrist Adolf Meyer emphasized that psychological time was the basis of all physiological processes5. Religious institutions embraced scientific definitions of mental illness and started to support individuals afflicted by such conditions.
Classifying Mental Disorders as ‘Epidemics’
The classification of mental disorders as epidemics or pandemics is inaccurate. A comprehensive assessment of 95 studies analyzing anxiety disorders and 144 other evaluating major depressive disorders between 1990 and 2010 demonstrated that there was no increase in either of the illnesses in the period under review6. The fact that research examining prevalence is dependent on repeated cross-sectional studies means that they are heavily influenced by reverse confounding variables7. This is because there has been a significant decline in survey response rates across different contexts. The assertion that mental health conditions have reached epidemic proportions is untrue, given the lack of concise scientific evidence to back such a claim. The evolution in social and economic conditions, as well as better access to health services, have helped address many mental health concerns.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cultural, social, and scientific views and interpretations of mental health disorders changed between the Middle Ages and the twentieth century through causal understanding, new terminology, and social acceptance. In addition, classifying disorders and conditions as epidemics is inaccurate. The main reason is the lack of concise scientific evidence to back such a claim. However, it is critical to continue the fight against stigmatization and discrimination of people with mental illnesses.
Bibliography
Butterworth, Peter, Nicole Watson, and Mark Wooden. “Trends in the Prevalence of Psychological Distress Over Time: Comparing Results from Longitudinal and Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, no. 595696 (2020): 1–9. Web.
Fryxell, Allegra R.P. “Psychopathologies of Time: Defining Mental Illness in Early 20th-Century Psychiatry.” History of the Human Sciences 32 no. 2 (2019): 3–31. Web.
Kathryn, Hurlock. “Mental Health in the Middle Ages.” Encyclopedia of the Global Middle Ages. 2019. Web.
Footnotes
- Hurlock Kathryn. 2019. “Mental Health in the Middle Ages.” Encyclopedia of the Global Middle Ages. 2019. Web.
- Kathryn, “Mental Health in the Middle Ages.”
- Kathryn, “Mental Health in the Middle Ages.”
- Kathryn, “Mental Health in the Middle Ages.”
- Allegra Fryxell. 2019. “Psychopathologies of Time: Defining Mental Illness in Early 20th-Century Psychiatry.” History of the Human Sciences 32 (2): 3–31. Web.
- Peter Butterworth, Nicole Watson, and Mark Wooden. 2020. “Trends in the Prevalence of Psychological Distress Over Time: Comparing Results from Longitudinal and Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys.” Frontiers in Psychiatry 11 (595696): 1–9. Web.
- Butterworth, Watson, and Wooden, “Trends in the Prevalence of Psychological Distress Over Time.