Diagnosis

= ﻿Diagnosis of Mental Disorders in the 1930s and 1940s = The movement towards social hygiene focused around Progressive-era reforms involving the containment of disease. From the 1910s to 1960s, "mental hygiene" was a major movement to take care of mental health in childhood, to prevent the creation and spread of mental diseases. The term "mental hygienist" referred to any health professional concerned with the care of young children, and the maintaining of their mental health in youth. Between the 1920s and 1940s, the majority of mental hygiene initiatives were focused on schools, however, the effects of the Great Depression took many kids out of school and put them into the workforce, which resulted in an under-diagnosis of mental illness and retardation during this period. [|This video]shows more about the mental hygiene movement and its effects on home life in the 30s and 40s.

As the importance of mental health increased, so also did the number of mental hospitals, institutions, and asylums. While institutions were sparse in the 18th and 19th centuries, by 1900, the number of mental institutions in America had grown to over 100,000. Since there was a greater amount of screening for mental illnesses over during the 1930s-1940s, more and more people were diagnosed with illnesses and put into psychiatric care. The practices of these institutions were highly suspect and questionable, and with the creation of the lobotomy in 1946, they became even more suspect.

Increased screening also led to increased patient diagnosis. From 1923-1939, the amount of diagnosed mental patients increased from 267,617 to 457,98, an increase of 71.1%. While this may be attributed to population increase over this time, there is evidence to suggest that increased interest in the mind and mental fields played a part in the increased diagnosis, recognition, and education about mental diseases.