Reinventing the mental health approach in Belgium

Challenging assumptions can lead to revolutions in mental health.

Question your assumptions. This gem is one of my favorites from my work on creative thinking and problem solving.

why does something have to be that Method?why Can not Will long-held traditions change?what makes the rules right?

These questions bring me to Geel, a Belgian city of about 41,000 people well known to mental health history buffs.

according to catholic onlineA young girl named Dymphna fled Ireland in the 7th century and settled in Hale, where she used her wealth to build a hospital for the destitute. A church was built in her honor in 1349, before she was canonized as a mentally ill saint. It has become a sanctuary for many people around the world seeking mental health treatment. Hale became so famous that in 1480 it was necessary to enlarge the church.

But here’s a problem. So many pilgrims in need of mental health support flocked to Hael that the church could not accommodate them.

Hale residents questioned assumptions about why people with mental illness can’t be helped. Why can’t people without formal training help?

Stigma against mental illness has shunned, discriminated against, and ostracized people for centuries. At least that seems to have changed with Geel. This community opened its doors to people with mental disabilities and welcomed them into its home.

According to Comer and Comer (2020), “local residents welcomed these residents into their homes, and many remained there, forming the world’s first ‘colony’ of psychiatric patients.” By the 1930s, approximately 4,000 people with mental health disorders lived in Gir, representing approximately one-quarter of the population (Chen, 2016).

This tradition continues to this day.Function of new york times Geel states that it “represents a humane alternative to the neglect and institutionalization of people with mental illness seen elsewhere” (Stevis-Gridneff & Ryckewaert, 2023).

Although progress has been made in the United States, stigma against mental health still exists. A 2019 survey by the American Psychological Association found that 33 percent of participants agreed with the statement that “people with mental disorders are scary.” Slightly more survey respondents (39 percent) said their view of someone would change if they knew that person had a mental health disorder.

Whether it’s 1480 or 2024, it’s possible that some people in Hale held similar prejudices. It’s good to see widespread questioning of assumptions.

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