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Opening of the First State Mental Health Hospital
The U.S.'s first state mental health hospital opens in Williamsburg, Virginia. Before this, individuals with mental illness were often housed in poorhouses alongside people with contagious diseases or disabilities. -
Dorothea Dix's Advocacy for Humane Treatment
Dorothea Dix begins advocating for humane treatment of the mentally ill after witnessing horrific conditions in prisons and almshouses. Her efforts lead to the establishment of better mental health facilities. -
Clifford Beers and the Mental Hygiene Movement
Clifford Beers published "A Mind That Found Itself," a memoir detailing his experiences with mental illness and mistreatment in institutions. His work sparks the mental hygiene movement. -
The Community Mental Health Centers Act
The Community Mental Health Centers Act is passed, leading to the deinstitutionalization movement. This act aims to provide community-based mental health services, reducing reliance on large psychiatric hospitals. -
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was enacted, requiring health insurance companies to provide equal coverage for mental health and substance use disorders as they do for physical health conditions. -
Expansion of Telehealth and Digital Interventions
Expansion of telehealth and digital interventions for mental health services, increasing accessibility and flexibility in mental health care delivery.