Abstract (may include machine translation)
Until the end of the 1940s there were two main established methods to occupy
the mentally ill who were fit for work. From the end of the 19th century, a lesser number of the them underwent work therapy in mental asylums, whereas the
others were treated with the so-called family therapy (otherwise known as hetero-familial system), exploiting the capacities of the families in the countryside. As
an important part of this, the mentally ill helped in housekeeping and agricultural
work. However, following the political and ideological turn of 1948, the latter form
of treatment became debated, then it was gradually superseded. Parallel to this
process, work therapy came to be the most popular type of treatment for mental
illnesses, as work formed the basis of the ideology of the Communist state, and
thus, healing through work harmonised with the general tendencies of the era.
The article examines the texts related to work therapy published in neurological–
psychiatric and psychological journals and monographs between 1954 and 1964.
It should be pointed out, that even though work therapy appeared as the “handmaiden of ideology” (even in its name), and even though it was supposed to fulfil
a certain role, in reality, the role and perception of work therapy was a lot more
complicated.
the mentally ill who were fit for work. From the end of the 19th century, a lesser number of the them underwent work therapy in mental asylums, whereas the
others were treated with the so-called family therapy (otherwise known as hetero-familial system), exploiting the capacities of the families in the countryside. As
an important part of this, the mentally ill helped in housekeeping and agricultural
work. However, following the political and ideological turn of 1948, the latter form
of treatment became debated, then it was gradually superseded. Parallel to this
process, work therapy came to be the most popular type of treatment for mental
illnesses, as work formed the basis of the ideology of the Communist state, and
thus, healing through work harmonised with the general tendencies of the era.
The article examines the texts related to work therapy published in neurological–
psychiatric and psychological journals and monographs between 1954 and 1964.
It should be pointed out, that even though work therapy appeared as the “handmaiden of ideology” (even in its name), and even though it was supposed to fulfil
a certain role, in reality, the role and perception of work therapy was a lot more
complicated.
| Translated title of the contribution | Work as a Cure for Mental Illnesses?: Opportunism and Seeking Ways in Psychology and Psychiatry in Hungary during the First Decades of State Socialism |
|---|---|
| Original language | Hungarian |
| Pages (from-to) | 347-370 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Sic Itur ad Astra |
| Issue number | 66 |
| State | Published - 2017 |
| Externally published | Yes |
