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How Psychiatry Methods Evolved Over Time From Force to Healing

Psychiatry is filled with theories and methods. To understand the evolution of psychiatry is to know and understand the development of some of these theories and methods. From insane asylums of the turn of the century to the modern day clinics there has been much change. From straight jackets, restraining tables, shackles and cages to therapy couches, hypnosis and medications - psychiatry has come a long way.

ECT or Electric shock is one of the most brutal of methods that is thought to have been a stepping up for the field of psychiatry when it was first introduced by a psychiatrist, Ugo Cerletti. It is still used today for only the very serious of cases.

Force is the culprit behind the methods known as the straight jacket and the restraints. It was thought that unwanted behavior and actions could be controlled by force. The electrical force of ECT is what replaced the physical force of the jackets and restraints or so progress would have us believe.

These two methods ECT and physical force were methods that were designed to control extreme behavior instead of having the purpose of helping the unfortunate patient.

Then we have the surgical procedure called the lobotomy or destruction of portions of the frontal lobes of the brain. The patient becomes calmer but at a huge price!

Today, modern psychiatry has steered away from force and has the goal of improving the mental well-being of the patient through therapy and mediations where appropriate.

The word "psychiatry" itself comes from a Greek word that means "healer of the spirit". It became a recognized profession in the early 19th century with the first psychiatric department being established in Berlin in 1865.

In decades past psychiatric patients would be hospitalized for 6 months at a time or even years depending on the severity of the behavior. Today, patients are mostly treated as outpatients with hospitalizations required in the rare case of threat to self or others.

The different theoretical approaches to psychiatry are Biopsychiatry which focuses on genetics, neurochemistry and on the use of medication to bring about the desired change. Social psychiatry also called community psychiatry focuses on the interpersonal or public health aspect including the function of psychiatric rehabilitation. Cross-cultural psychiatry focuses on the culture, ethnicity and globalization of the individual and psychoanalytic psychiatry focuses on applying the concepts and methods of psychoanalysis.

The main classification tool used in the United States today, by psychiatrists is the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders, which is produced and published by the American Psychiatric Association. This manual is also used worldwide. This manual concerns itself with five different areas or axes. These five areas are: Psychiatric disorders, Personality disorders or mental retardation, General medical conditions, Social functioning and impact of symptoms and the Global Assessment of Functioning which uses a scale from 1 to 100.