Part 4/14:
Rosen critiques the historic decline of America’s mental health institutions, which began in earnest during the Kennedy era with the deinstitutionalization movement. Previously, state asylums, crafted from moral and religious principles by advocates like Dorothea Dix, provided light, well-structured environments for the mentally ill. However, as the country expanded and demographic shifts occurred—especially with an aging population and the aftermath of world wars—the asylums became overcrowded, underfunded, and unable to provide proper care.