Rest and restitution : convalescence and the public mental hospital in England, 1919-39
Previous histories have tended to look beyond the asylum for innovations in early twentieth-century mental healthcare. In contrast, this thesis appraises the mental hospital as the nexus for a new approach to convalescent care and makes the case for a more integrated conception of institutional and community care in the interwar period. Despite a concentration of convalescent facilities in certain areas, this study argues that the period between 1919 and 1939 witnessed the emergence of a more standardised and coordinated model of care that traversed institutional boundaries. Consequently, it challenges a prevailing view that sees asylum care as separate from developments in borderline care in this period. It is demonstrated that public mental hospitals after 1919 widely added new convalescent villas within their grounds, whilst voluntary organisations diversified and extended their community-based cottage homes. This thesis explores the reasons for this expansion and seeks to explain the functions it served those who planned, managed and utilised mental convalescent homes. It is argued that those with professional interests in the mental hospital focused on the âmodernâ convalescent villa partly as a strategic
Soanes, Stephen
RA Public aspects of medicine
Rest and restitution : convalescence and the public mental hospital in England, 1919-39. Previous histories have tended to look beyond the asylum for innovations in early twentieth-century mental healthcare. In contrast, this thesis appraises the mental hospital as the nexus for a new approach to convalescent care and makes the case for a more integrated conception of institutional and community care in the interwar period. Despite a concentration of convalescent facilities in certain areas, this study argues that the period between 1919 and 1939 witnessed the emergence of a more standardised and coordinated model of care that traversed institutional boundaries. Consequently, it challenges a prevailing view that sees asylum care as separate from developments in borderline care in this period. It is demonstrated that public mental hospitals after 1919 widely added new convalescent villas within their grounds, whilst voluntary organisations diversified and extended their community-based cottage homes. This thesis explores the reasons for this expansion and seeks to explain the functions it served those who planned, managed and utilised mental convalescent homes. It is argued that those with professional interests in the mental hospital focused on the âmodernâ convalescent villa partly as a strategic
rest public mental hospital england previous history_tend look_beyond asylum innovation mental healthcare contrast appraise mental hospital nexus new care make_case integrated conception institutional community care interwar_period despite concentration facility certain_area study argues period_witness emergence standardise coordinate model care traverse institutional boundary consequently challenge prevail_view see asylum care separate development care period demonstrate public mental hospital widely add_new villa within ground whilst voluntary_organisation diversify extended community based home explores reason expansion seek_explain function serve plan manage utilised mental home argue professional interest mental hospital focus modern villa partly strategic