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Dr. Samuel B. Woodward: A 19th Century Pioneer In American Psychiatric Care, Janet L. Dadoly, Len Levin, Lisa A. Palmer
Dr. Samuel B. Woodward: A 19th Century Pioneer In American Psychiatric Care, Janet L. Dadoly, Len Levin, Lisa A. Palmer
Lisa A. Palmer
Objective: Showcase the life and work of Dr. Samuel B. Woodward, the medical superintendent of one of the first public hospitals for the mentally ill in the U.S., the Worcester State Hospital in Worcester, Mass. Dr. Woodward overcame then-popular views of mental illness to champion compassionate, optimistic, and individualized treatment for patients.
Methods: Dr. Samuel B. Woodward brought a significant paradigm shift to the dark world of mentally ill indigent citizens of Massachusetts in the early 19th century. When Dr. Woodward became the first superintendent of Worcester State Hospital in 1833, mentally ill patients were viewed with suspicion and fear …