The 19th century took the care of the mentally ill out of ancient times and dealt with the matter in a more humane and compassionate way. The progression of mental health care had many breakthroughs over the years to come, the most noteworthy being the mental health reform movement in the 19th century. The 18th century was known as the "Period of Enlightenment" but this term certainly did not apply to the treatment of the …showed first 75 words of 1066 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1066 total…or staff overcrowding became a serious problem. Countless people that needed treatment were turned away and those in the system were not provided with the individual care that was vital. Therefore there was a steady regression back to the custodial, generalized care that was provided in the past. The treatments were no longer comprised of torture and restraint, but could not ensure the compassionate, and nurturing care that had so tenaciously been campaigned for (Talbott 19).