The document summarizes the history and origin of psychiatric social work. It begins with a brief overview of the history of psychiatry from ancient to modern times. It then discusses the origins of psychiatric social work in the context of deinstitutionalization in the 1800s-1900s and the role of social workers in assisting former patients transition back to their communities. The document also notes the expansion of psychiatric social work during World War I to help soldiers experiencing shell shock. Finally, it discusses the development of psychiatric social work in India beginning in the 1930s-1940s and the establishment of training programs and professional associations to support the field.

1. HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF
PSW
Aarcha Gowri Varma
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

2. BRIEF HISTORY OF PSYCHIATRY
Primitive period: ,Pre classical period:
Classical period(500BC),Medieval Period, Renaissance
Institutionalizationalization and deinstitutionalization
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

3. BRIEF HISTORY OF PSYCHIATRY
Primitive period:
– Mental illness-Due to the influence of evil spirit –trephination
Pre classical period:
– Influence of the evil spirit/punishment from God.
– Faith healing and change of environment emerged. -Inhuman treatment
Classical period(500BC)
the humane and rational approach to mental illness was emerged , scientific explanation of
mental illness-related brain, body fluids to mental illness
Main contributors were - Pythagoras , Hippocrates -The father of medicine, Plato
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

4. Medieval Period: (5th to 15 centuries )
Institutional care of the mentally ill , inhumane treatment
Renaissance (14-17century )period:
Much more scientific temper, psychological causes of mental illness were also considered
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

5. Institutionalization –
“Use of public institutions for the care of people who are physically or
mentally disabled, criminally delinquent, or incapable of independent
living.”
UK
•19th(1800s) century there was a large state-led effort. Public mental asylums were
established in Britain .
•bars, chains and handcuffs were used and the filthy conditions the inmates lived in
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

6. Institutionalisation in US
•Dorothea Lynde Dix, teacher – was disturbed by the pathetic condition of mentally ill- being
neglected , Caged, Chained, naked, beaten with rods, and lashed into obedience, abused
•She travelled to various parts of the US and wrote articles, letters to officals stating case studies about
the condition of mental ill.- Mental Hygiene Movement
•Her finding and reports influenced the state to start state run mental health asylums and bring in
laws for the mentally ill.
•By the late 1890s and early 1900s, this number had risen to the hundreds of thousands. Asylums
became crowded. It became a place to dumb mentally ill.
•Psychiatrists were pressured by an ever-increasing patient population.
•Understaffed, under-resourced, and were accused of violating human rights
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

7. DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION
the process of replacing long-stay psychiatric hospitals with less isolated community mental health
services for those diagnosed with a mental disorder or developmental disability.
deinstitutionalization is the long-term trend of moving individuals with mental health and
developmental issues out of large state institutions into community-based mental health programs.
belief that mental health care should be administered in the least restrictive environment possible
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

8. 2 reasons :
 As institutional abuse cases and pathetic treatment conditions got social attention, socio-
political campaigns for the better treatment of patients.
 Inventions of new psychiatric medications like chlorpromazine other antipsychotic drugs
made it more feasible to release people into the community, and the argument that
community services would be cheaper.
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

9. ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF
PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORK
Deinstitutionalization
World war 1
Child guidance clinics
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

10. ORIGIN OF PSW - AS PART OF
DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION
1. Interests of psychiatrists began to shift from institutional management to mental hygiene- in the control and
prevention of mental illness in the community.
• aftercare and community care had to be given and social aspects of mental illness needed to be studied
2. As patients returned to community , there were many problems like
 Unemployment , Poverty
 Family did not accept
 Stigma
• This shift created more scope of activity, new needs and created new demands
• social work were employed to meet these new demands.
• In 1907, Massachusetts General Hospital assigned a social worker, to the neurological clinic
• Social work departments in OP services, after care and prevention of relapse AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

11. WW1- EXPANSION AND
TRANSFORMATION OF PSW
Large number of war-related psychiatric problems, popularly called "shell shock," troubled Army psychiatrists.
Army men were facing many types of neurotic disorders.
Social workers could help these patients, by finding them employment, securing resources, and interpreting the illness
and its management to family members.
In 1918, Smith College started a summer school program to train psychiatric social workers for the war emergency. This
program grew into the Smith College School for Social Work.
After WW2 similar issues
Many countries came up with mental health act which had given importance PSWs
This was followed by setting up of American association of PSW for giving guidlines and unifying the professional social
work practice. The association later became know as the NASW National association od social work
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

12. HABIT CLINICS AND CHILD
GUIDANCE CLINICS OF THE 1920S
oChild guidance clinics were initially created for juvenile delinquents. (children in
conflict with law)
oThrough this work early clinic professions became concerned over the lack of
social and psychological services for all children.
o As a consequence, child guidance clinics rapidly broadened their mission to
include children with mental and emotional problems.
oSocial workers were appointed and given training in basic psychology
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

13. PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORK IN
INDIA
First psychiatric social worker in a child guidance clinic in 1937 @ Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate
School of Social Work, Mumbai.
Gauri Rani Banerjee trained from US started the training program in Medical and Psychiatric
Social Work at TISS, Mumbai.
The other Social Workers & psychiatrists who gave a major boost to Psychiatric Social Work in
India were Vidyasagar, Sarada Menon,(SCARF), Bhatia
Initially case work model was followed. But with the coming up of behaviorisms and cognitivist
the practice expanded
Case Work, Group Work, Community Organization, and Social Welfare administration into the
profession of Psychiatric Social Work to give it a firm shape towards 1940s.AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

14. Bhore committee (in 1946),
All India Institute of Mental Health was set up in 1954, which became the National Institute of
Mental Health And Neurosciences in 1974 at Bangalore.
 Training started @ NIMHANS National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences –
institute for psychiatry and mental hygiene
Governmental polices and acts emphasised the need of PSW
National Mental Health Program,
National Mental Health Act, now called the Mental health care act 2017
involvement of Primary Health Centers in providing care to the psychiatric patients, the services
of Psychiatric Social Workers came into prominence.
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

15. Association of Psychiatric Social Work Professionals, 2019, under
Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS

16. THANKYOU
AARCHA GOWRI VARMA MPHIL PSW ,IMHANS