The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox

The word “asylum” typically means a place of refuge, however, in the Victorian era, institutional “asylums” (or psychiatric hospitals) became veritable prisons where people deemed “unfit” to live in society were sent indefinitely. The facilities were intended to house individuals diagnosed with mental illness, but since the science of psychiatry was relatively new in the 19th century, people were often misdiagnosed and in time, any individual who exhibited socially undesirable behavior was in danger of being sent to a psychiatric hospital. Aside from the ubiquity of misdiagnosis, patients were also subjected to torturous treatments which have since been deemed ineffective in treating mental illness. Ironically, these facilities’ inhumane conditions, coupled with isolation and malpractice, led many patients to develop mental illnesses while incarcerated. Moreover, patients in these facilities, having become social pariahs, harbored no hope of release as their relatives had few other options for treatment, or refused to accept and support their loved ones.

During the late-20th century, advancements in neuroscience and psychology paved the way for more compassionate, comprehensive care for individuals with mental illness. With interventions like talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and more effective pharmaceutical treatments, committing individuals to psychiatric hospitals fell out of favor. In 1990, the Community Care Act forced the closure of several psychiatric facilities.