Reasons for Insanity and Admission to Insane Asylums in Late 1800s Minnesota

Location

CSU 253/4/5

Start Date

4-4-2011 9:00 AM

End Date

4-4-2011 10:30 AM

Student's Major

Psychology

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Andi Lassiter

Mentor's Department

Psychology

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

This research project examines the records from the first mental hospitals in Minnesota to determine the most frequent reasons for admission for treatment. The state hospitals were located in St. Peter, Rochester, and Fergus Falls. Admission data, patient records and psychiatric logs from the late 1800s were reviewed and were the source for archival data. The results indicate some common reasons for entering the hospitals were masturbation and sexual difficulties, delusions and hallucination, epilepsy, and intemperance.

Frequencies of insanity causes and the forms of mental disorders are presented in table format. The report also includes brief explanations of how patents were treated for these various illnesses. Findings from this research can be used in future studies comparing mental illnesses and their treatments then and now.

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Apr 4th, 9:00 AM Apr 4th, 10:30 AM

Reasons for Insanity and Admission to Insane Asylums in Late 1800s Minnesota

CSU 253/4/5

This research project examines the records from the first mental hospitals in Minnesota to determine the most frequent reasons for admission for treatment. The state hospitals were located in St. Peter, Rochester, and Fergus Falls. Admission data, patient records and psychiatric logs from the late 1800s were reviewed and were the source for archival data. The results indicate some common reasons for entering the hospitals were masturbation and sexual difficulties, delusions and hallucination, epilepsy, and intemperance.

Frequencies of insanity causes and the forms of mental disorders are presented in table format. The report also includes brief explanations of how patents were treated for these various illnesses. Findings from this research can be used in future studies comparing mental illnesses and their treatments then and now.

Recommended Citation

Warman, Casandra. "Reasons for Insanity and Admission to Insane Asylums in Late 1800s Minnesota." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 4, 2011.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2011/poster-session-A/23