The relevance of moral treatment to contemporary mental health care

Abstract

Moral treatment was the name given to the system of care pioneered by Quakers at The Retreat in York at the end of the 18th century for individuals who had 'lost their reason'. It was a humane revolution that had a huge and lasting influence on the practice of psychiatry. Beginning by tracing its origins and history, the paper identifies seven basic principles of moral treatment and identifies ways in which these principles are pertinent to areas of concern in contemporary mental health care. Although many features of moral treatment are now widely accepted it is suggested that many of the core principles which guided the pioneers of The Retreat 200 years ago are still relevant to contemporary mental health issues.