More Progress Is Needed in Mental Health Care

For much of history, psychosis was considered a result of demon possession. In many ways that view is still evident today. In the United States, slaves were diagnosed with disorders such as draptomania, described as a condition that caused black slaves to flee captivity. People with mental illness were routinely imprisoned and only later put in primitive treatment facilities where many were subjected to barely tolerable hotand cold-water baths among other things. Obviously, mental health care has improved with time. With advances in neuroscience and increased emphasis on the worth of people, individuals began to receive relatively targeted medication. Nevertheless, the mental health challenges facing communities in Texas remain stark.