Involuntary confinement is not a new concept. In fact, the ancient Greeks confined the mentally ill in asylums as early as 300 B.C. It was during 450 B.C. that the concept of informed consent was first defined. Fortunately, the Greeks approached treating the mentally ill with innovative ideas and the utmost compassion. The earliest asylums in ancient Greece were the pioneers of humane treatment of the mentally ill.
However, humane treatment of the mentally ill has not always been the case. As time went on, more and more people were being confined, for things that had nothing to do with being ill. In reality, it was like the Inquisition, a witch-hunt against the "mentally ill". If you looked at your neighbor the wrong way, you were locked up. By the 1500's, the idea of treating the mentally ill with any sort of compassion was non existent. Most of the patients were locked in dungeon-like environments, bound in chains and forced to endure hours or even days in beds that resembled wooden coffins. A typical psychiatric hospital was dark, dirty, and cold. Europe embraced the concept of locking people up in mental institutions with a fevered zeal. In 18th century France, 1 out of every 100 Parisian citizens was confined. Over the next 3 centuries, the mentally ill were often treated like circus freaks, with many hospitals charging admission to let the public view the "crazy people".
There were a few pioneers within the mental health community who introduced humane treatment as well as nicer asylums. But involuntary confinement never completely diminished. Perhaps this is a good thing, for involuntary confinement can be beneficial to both the patient and the community. There is such a fine line though, between confining someone for their own good, and confining them because there is nowhere else to put them.
In the 1960's, the United States went through the process of de-institutionalization. Over 90% of all patients in mental hospitals were released onto the streets, with very few community resources to meet their needs. This did result in an explosion in the homeless population and even a small rise in crime. Today, there are many halfway houses and community centers to help introduce the mentally ill back into society. Back in the 1960's, such places did not exist.
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