The Connecticut Valley Hospital is a psychiatric care facility in Middleton, Conn. It is situated on approximately 1,000 acres of land along the Connecticut River Valley. The hospital treats mental disorders, as well as drug and alcohol addiction, and is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
History
In 1866, the State of Connecticut established legislation that would allow for what was then referred to as a "hospital for the insane." On June 20, 1867, the cornerstone was laid for the General Hospital for Insane of the State of Connecticut. Shew Hall, now the administrative building, was constructed during that year. The hospital opened its doors in 1868. In 1874, its name was changed to the Connecticut Hospital for the Insane. By 1879, it was referred to as the Connecticut State Hospital. In 1953, its administration was transferred to the Connecticut Department of Mental Health, and in 1961, its name was officially changed to the Connecticut Valley Hospital.
Significance
The constant name changes of the Connecticut Valley Hospital is significant because it indicates America's changing attitudes about mental illness. In a paper titled "Women's Mental Illness: A Response to Oppression," author Katie L. Frick, a researcher at the University of Texas, describes the early Victorian attitudes about mental illness. She cites Ann Goldberg's "Sex, Religion and the Making of Modern Madness" to describe the pre-1850 mental asylums. Before 1850, insanity was regarded as an illness of the soul; mental illness was the considered a sort of internal evil. Mentally ill patients were kept in cages under unsanitary conditions. As physicians learned more about psychiatry, a metal illness reform movement began to take place throughout the country. As people began to learn more about mental illness and began to respect the privacy of the hospital patients, the hospital adopted a more politically correct name.
Time Frame
In his book titled "Mad Yankees: The Hartford Retreat for the Insane and 19th-Century Psychiatry " author Lawrence B. Goodheart describes the philosophy of "moral care," which prevailed in mid-19th century Connecticut. Proponents of this philosophy were opposed to the chains and shackles used in early 19th century asylums. In 1824, they founded the Hartford Retreat for the Insane. Goodheart believes that the founders of the retreat were motivated by civic duty and Christian stewardship. In the book's introduction, he points out the strong links between clergy and physicians, which prevailed in Colonial New England.
Unfortunately, the retreat relied on financial support from individual donations and received minimal help from the state. As such, it was primarily an institution for the wealthy elite. When the the Connecticut Valley Hospital opened as a state institution in 1868, the Hartford Retreat finally gained its fiscal balance. Today, the Connecticut Valley Hospital continues to operate on a sliding scale.
Effects of Treatment
The philosophy of moral care that inspired the founding of Connecticut's psychiatric care facilities did not always extend to their practice. Goodheart points out that the Connecticut institutions did not produce the desired results. As such, doctors surmised that mental illness was passed down through families. In 1895, the eugenic sterilization law was passed. Sterilization operations were performed on patients at the Connecticut Valley Hospital.
Considerations
During the 19th century, Civil War veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder were sent to Connecticut Valley Hospital. In late 2008, Matt Warshauer, a history professor at Central Connecticut State University, began researching the subject for a book on this topic. He requested files from Connecticut Valley Hospital on veterans who suffered from the 19th century condition known as "soldier's heart." However, an article by Jesse Leavenworth, published in "The Hartford Courant" on Sept., 9, 2009 explored the controversy that resulted from Warshauer's request. While the professor argued that the information should be available under the state's Freedom of Information law, the hospital argued that releasing the records would be in violation of the long-dead patient's right to privacy and that the authors and researchers would need to seek permission from the patient's descendants.
