TrOn – A social history of mental health institutions

The modern psychiatrist performs their practice within a social space that is defined not only by current trends but also by historical influence. The experience of mental distress is intimately related to an individual’s psychological and social experiences.

Clinical knowledge benefits from an understanding of the social roles occupied by psychiatrists, allied professionals, patients and the residential institutions they occupy. An understanding of the historical background to modern institutions provides valuable contextual information relevant to the role of psychiatry in modern society.

This module explores the history of residential institutions in relation to psychiatric care, and encourages reflection on the meaning of this history to modern clinical practice. The role of individual agents and technological practices within institutions are considered.

Please note: Unlike most Trainees Online modules, this module does not contain Recap Questions at the end of each section. This is due to the historical nature of the content in the module.