Located in the historic Kirkbride building built in 1883, the Oregon State Hospital (OSH) is the oldest working psychiatric facility on the west coast. The OSH Museum of Mental Health is a non-profit, volunteer-run business that provides a fascinating look into the past practices and history of mental health in Oregon. While the Museum’s displays provide some insights into the general history of treating mental health, much of the focus is on the history of OHS.
According to one of the displays:
“Moral treatment was a method of treating people diagnosed with mental illness that emerged in the late 1700s in France and England in direct response to the prison-like conditions of asylums of the day. This reform-based approach to treatment emphasized regimen, a wholesome environment and the moral influence of the staff.”
According to one of the displays:
“The ways medical professionals have classified mental illness has changed over time as the understanding of mental illness both in the field of psychology and in wider society has shifted. For example, the names of certain conditions have been revised with changes in understanding of how conditions relate to one another—what is now known as schizophrenia was once referred to as dementia praecox. Similarly, there are conditions one considered mental illness that are now understood not to be, such as epilepsy.”
When Oregon became a state in 1859, there was a movement to segregate people deemed “insane” from the general population, and the legislation debated building a state-run mental asylum, but nothing was passed until 1880.
Displays
Restraint
According to the display:
“Restraint and seclusion are two of the oldest and most controversial practices at OSH.”
More museum overviews
Museums 101: Stevensville Historical Museum (photo diary)
Museums 101: An Overview of the Orkney Museum (Photo Diary)
National Museum of Scotland: An Overview (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Moses Lake Museum (photo diary)
Museums 101: The East Benton County Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Wasco County Historical Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Sherman County Historical Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Rocky Mountain Military Museum (Photo Diary)