Two factors that impede access to mental illness treatment are stigma and lack of health insurance. World Wars I and II increased awareness of mental health issues within the government and public through treating soldiers, leading to more funding. In the 1960s, mental health treatment shifted from institutions to community-based care due to new medications and a civil rights movement. This improved patients' lives but burdened communities when funding followed services instead of results. Persistent assumptions about mental illness stem from its invisibility and complexity, though effective diagnosis and treatment is now possible due to standardized criteria and evidence-based practices.