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Dr. Walter Freeman and his colleague James Watt perform the first prefrontal lobotomy.
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Italian neurologist Ugo Cerletti uses electroshock to treat patients with schizophrenia.
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Thorazine becomes a staple drug in mental asylums.
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This book is published by Ken Kesey, based on his experience as a nurse in a mental institute.
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Mental illness treatment is not included in Medicaid, so more people are moved to retirement homes rather than institutions.
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California passes this act, making it more difficult for mentally ill people to be involuntarily hospitalized.
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Jimmy Carter signs this to try and improve the service for people with chronic mental illness.
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Ronald Regan repeals Carter's act, decreasing federal funding on mental illness by 30 percent.
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Clozapine is developed and approved to treat schizophrenia.
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There are 43,000 psychiatric beds in the United States, or about 14 beds per 100,000 people—the same ratio as in 1850.
