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I believe that the typical societal attitude regarding mental illness has changed tremendously for the better since this documentary was filmed. The patients who lived in these residential institutions were severely neglected. They were denied basic human rights, and they were treated as if they were a burden to society. Today, the mental health field is a growing profession that many people are passionate about. Families are more educated and equipped to take care of children and adults with mental illnesses.

While watching this video I was pretty shocked to see the conditions of these facilities. It was unbelievable how long Willow Brook remained opened, even after Kennedy advocated for the changes needed to protect the patients there. I watched the entire film, and now I want to watch the follow up interviews and reports. I am happy that society has become aware that facilities like these are inhumane.

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1. Societal attitude towards the mentally ill (especially in America) has not always had the best approach to treating the many disorders of mental illness. It has usually been incarcerating or institutionalizing the mentally ill in psychiatric facilities or nursing homes. The mentally ill and/or developmentally disabled have always been treated as throwaways. I am familiar with the story of Willowbrook and the work of Bobby Kennedy. The irony in that is the Kennedy's had a sister who they kept out of the spotlight. And she was also institutionalized and "treated" with lobotomies.
2. I have seen the full documentary about Willowbrook and it is extremely disturbing. However, I was not surprised about because I grew up visiting an aunt of mine in the 1990's who was institutionalized in Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Long Island, NY. Even as a child I knew it was not an amazing place and it terrified me but also sparked an interest in mental health.

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Society has progressed significantly on its view of mental illness since this documentary. Many understand the importance of treatment of mental illness, however I do not think most realize how hard the barriers to proper treatment can be with those who are suffering. I feel we may be more accepting of those who may be different from the expected norms, but we have a long way to go to ensure all have equal and easy access to treatment.

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In relation to the report we watched, society has come a long way regarding attitudes towards mental illness. People have gained more knowledge about mental illness and what can be done to help children with mental illness'. With that being said, I think a majority of our society is still unaware of the importance of mental illness awareness. Because mental illness is not something you can see, I believe it is hard for some people to grasp how serious it can be. I hope that we are working towards educating even more people and letting people know how truly important mental health is.

In regards to this video, I am happy to see that even so many years ago people still cared about mental illness and wanted to better the institutions for the children. I believe this shows that we have come a long way since then and people are learning more and more about mental illness. This video gives hope that there will be more knowledge and helpful tools for people with mental illness in the years to come.

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Willow-brook: A Report on How It Is And Why It Doesn't Have To Be That Way”

I was very thrilled about the video and the awareness it brought to me about mental illness and how society rated it.  Although, such awareness was an impact, it occurred to me that the typical attitude towards Mental Illness back then and today was somehow geared towards sympathetic and caring of more than 80 percent adults of the typical societal who also agreed that mental illness treatment was effective.   It was phenomenon to learn that less than 35 to 67 percent people in the subgroup for example, Black and non-Hispanic, Hispanic adults agreed that people were caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness in most states like New York and others in U.S. During the year of 2009.

Empirical supportive evidences in a study by the SAMSHA, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, and Center for Disease control (2003) and Willow-Brook reported that stigma about mental illness could lead people to fear disclosing that they had mental health problems.  It was assumed that stigma concerning mental illness and how society  would often treat people became prevention to treatment and recovery. The reason was that frequently stigma posed barriers for public health prevention efforts that would otherwise prepared to minimize onset of the mental illness and prevention or worsening of symptoms over time.

The video and the Willow-Brook report brought to light the surety of the impact of the stigma concerning mental illness and the  limitations it brought to life opportunities for people who were recognized as mentally ill.  The reason was often the lower prioritization for public resources that would otherwise allocate mental health services and poorer quality of care that was delivered to people who were diagnosed with the mental illness.  Subsequently, the prevailing view of health-related stigma as we watched the video was referred to as a perceived, enacted, or anticipated eviction or social exclusion, which to me was not a mark or blame on the individual.  (Video,  2018).

The video posed some interesting ideas about mental illness and how the public or society treated people with mental illness. The reason was that Geraldo Rivera on Willow-brook helped us to realize some limitations that often prevented the persons diagnosed as a mentally ill individual from lifeopportunities such as employment, education, and others.  The video was brief and sweet, but it enlightened me of the facts of the case with people with the mental illness.
In the video, president Kennedy on his Freedom Commission speech on Mental Health, P. 7, 2003) quoted: “As more individuals seek help and share their stories with friends and relatives, compassion will be the response, not ridicule.” This quote was used in the discussion to help the viewers understand the prose of the president and the public and what they believed would served as positive mechanism to mitigate issues with mental illness and how society might readdress it impact.
I certainly liked this quote because it helped me understood that the more people talked about their emotional and psychological distress, and their anxiety disorders with either individual counseling or group counseling, the better they became  with typical societal misconceptions about the conflict of interest being the Mental illness in discussion.  In fact, it occurred that about 8 percent of adults with less than a high school education strongly disagreed that treatment of the mental illness could lead to normal lives. However, less than 17 percent of adults living in households in the Willow-brook report were said to earn less than $20,000 annually. Substantially, these people disagreed that people were caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness. Over all, I liked the video because I gained some insights about mental illness and how typical society treat the individual with the disorders.

Work cited

Video (2018). Willow-brook: A Report on How It Is And Why It Doesn't Have To Be That Way”

Information regarding access to low-cost health care, including mental health treatment, is available at: http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates

. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions /More/CardiacRehab/Coping-with- Feelings_UCM_307092_Article.jsp

Getting Through Tough Economic Times provides practical advice on how to deal with the effects of financial difficulties on physical and mental health. http://www.samhsa.gov/economy)

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I think it is hard to define society's overall attitude regarding mental illness. Some people believe it is the role of society to assist those who have impaired functioning due to mental illness. Others might be less compassionate, and see things like drug addiction or depression as a choice. I would like to think that as a society, we are moving towards the former, but sometimes when I see homeless populations increasing or school budgets being cut I'm not so sure. I do think, however, that the stigma of having a mental illness has somewhat lessened. People are more likely to recommend and/or accept help in the form of therapy, and things like post-partum depression (or depression in general) are no longer seen by a majority of the population as shameful or signs of weakness.
Watching the video did make me wonder: 50 years from now, what will people be saying about the ways in which our society today opts to deal with mental illness?

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At the time of the filming of this documentary is is apparent that society didn't understand the nature of mental illness or how to appropriately and humanely treat those diagnosed with it.    It appears that individuals were "locked away" and "hidden" from what was considered "normal" society, which i attribute to "fear of the unknown".  Thank goodness changes have been made and great strides in understanding and treating mental illness have been developed.  Recently, there was a news story about the Kennedy family and how Eunice Kennedy had a sister who struggled with mental illness and who spent her life in an institution.  Eunice was a strong advocate for mental health rehabilitation and even developed the special olympics.  Despite all the advocates and the changes that have been made over the years, I believe that more change is necessary.  Education is a huge factor that affects how society views those with mental illness.  Yes, it is more accepted and understood, but there is still work to be done.

I admit that I was offended by the use of the term "mentally retarded", but I also know that it was a considered acceptable in 1965.  Throughout the short video i was preparing myself for what I was going to witness inside the facility, yet was relieved that the video didn't show it because the video ended.  Changes were made, but it was a slow process, which is very sad for those that were subjected to the cruel nature of these facilities.

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The first thing that really shocked me was the use of the word 'retarded'. In recent years, a large amount of people have stopped using it as an umbrella term. Back then, it was more common to use it as a blanket term for anyone who didn't function in the same way or capacity as the majority of the population. It seems as if there was a lot of uncertainty and hopelessness in terms of how the conditions of mental institutions would improve. The issues regarding mental health are now made more aware in today's society, but we still have a long way to go. Personally, this video makes me feel sad and hurt for those children and adults who had to endure those horrible conditions, especially when they should have been receiving help/treatment. However, with the power of the media today, I hope that we continue to shed light on mental illness and bring it back to a positive.

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The media fulfilled its intended purpose by exposing this institution and raising social consciousness by their reporting.  I was impressed that the goal did not seem to be driven by ratings, but more by conscience.  Back then, societal attitude towards the mentally ill, especially at the level of needing institutionalized care, was one of hopelessness.  Once someone was relinquished to an institution, they were often forgotten and dehumanized.  It was appalling to see that those who don’t have a voice were being treated like animals (or worse), which is why having a strong system of checks and balances and transparency is necessary to keep the standards of institutions in check.  I was horrified watching this video.  I think and hope that today, conditions have improved. I hope to learn more about modern-day care for the mentally ill in this class.  Because of watching this report, I gained a better understanding of why a parent would fight hard to keep a severely handicapped or mentally ill child in their home and opt for in-home care, rather than let them go to a group care situation or institution.  I have a friend with a severely handicapped child.  It takes a lot of work, costly modifications to their home, in-home nursing, and significant concessions by the rest of the family to keep her at home.  After seeing this video, I feel relieved that my friends have fought so hard to care for her themselves.  The thought of anyone being behind the closed doors of an unchecked institution, where corruption has the potential to outweigh human dignity, is downright scary.

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Societal attitude has drastically changed since this report was first aired. During the time it was aired mentally disabled children were seen as having "a disease" and there was fear throughout the society that they did not belong. Also back in the 1960s the word "retarded" was used to describe these children. "retarded" means "delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment." This term affects me a lot. I work as a special education teaching assistant and everyday our kids amaze me. They make strides everyday,  and make accomplishments. Watching this video hurts me. The way that these children and adults were treated. They were given no direction or help with life long skills. These hospitals, society, and medical administration did a disservice to these people. No one deserves to be treated this way and everyone deserves to have a voice. These patients needed someone to be their voice and to stand up for them. They did not have the opportunity to help themselves, and the moaning they heard from patients was their cry for help.

-Ashley Holdridge

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Society's attitude toward mental illness has come a long way sense this report was first aired.  At the time this was aired many people in society almost feared anyone with mental illness.  The perception of those with mental illness was they are inferior and couldn't be productive members of society.
Today I feel that society's perception is improving and has become more accepting of mental illness, but more understanding of what causes it will only improve acceptance of those with it.
Watching this video just sickens me that a human could treat another human in such a manner. The patients in this hospital quite often are not able to express their mistreatment so the staff must be their voice and advocate for the best treatment.

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After watching this video, I believe that the typical societal attitude towards mental illness back then and in the present day is a combination of fear and uncertainty. I say this because mental illness is a very sensitive subject that not everyone is accustomed to and is something that people try to avoid at all cost. Since the 1960's, mental illness has evolved and has become more popular in the recent years. I believe this is because more and more individuals are being diagnosed with a mental illness disorder. Decades ago, people did not want to know about mental illness because it had a stigma around the fact that those suffering from mental illnesses were uneducated, lived in poverty, and were incapable of living a normal life. In today's society, mental health is becoming more prominent and widespread solely because of those seeking help and treatment for their illness. I am relieved that there are no more facilities like Willowbrook because if their were, mental health would continue to get worse and cause individuals to not be able to live a normal life, despite their illness. Instead of being negatively affected by this video, I chose to have an open mind and listened to what was being said in the video. Although I did not agree with some of the things that were said, it is clear to me that in this day and time, the negative stigma surrounding mental illness will decrease with time and proper knowledge. As a future mental health counselor, I hope to be a part of the advocacy and help others who are affected by mental illness.

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Scott Cammarota: Padlet 1.1: Willowbrook ActivityWhat do you believe is the typical societal attitude regarding mental illness? The societal attitude towards mental health is evolving but evolving from what measuring point is the issue.  In the early 1900’s, the US had established institutions that were designed and staffed to handle an appropriate population for the facility size.  The facilities were staffed for the population and the success rate of helping these patients was high.  However, after World War 1 and the corresponding increases in the US population, mental illness resources have not kept pace with the needs of the population.  Historically speaking, since that time, mental illness has been treated as a problem to be contained.    Yes JFK passed legislature to make changes but the common perception of mental illness has been associated with a negative stigma.  The situation was made worse with the general budget cuts that occurred in the 1980’s which put mentally ill people on the streets instead of facilities where they could get help.  This led to a corresponding increase in the prison population, which is far more expensive to maintain than mental health facilities.In more recent years thankfully, the perception of mental illness and mental health counseling has experienced a decrease in the perceived negative stigma of the general population.  More people see mental health counseling as a viable treatment that improves the quality of life for the patients and is a resource to be considered and utilized.  The stigma is not gone, but it is decreasing, and hopefully will continue to decrease over time.How were you affected by watching this video? The video was quite horrific.  With the severe level of disability displayed, we are reminded that there is an obligation to help those who can not help themselves.  Social Justice/ Advocacy is the fight for what is right, to fight for the fair treatment of all people.  It is hard to imagine that conditions that horrific existed in the United States and not only were the resources not increased, but they were actually reduced repeatedly.  These budget cuts are the best indicator of how the general population perceived mental illness at that time.  If this was a priority, the resources would have been increased not decreased.  After watching this video, I would like to believe that these facilities are improved and something we can be proud of but I have my concerns.  I believe in the US way of life, but when Jeff Bezos (Amazon) is worth $110 Billion and 6 members of the Walton Family (Walmart) are worth more than the bottom 30% of the US population, I think we need to recognize that the robber barons are back and changes are needed.  These changes would provide more resources for those who need it most.

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Scott Cammarota: Padlet 1.1: Willowbrook ActivityWhat do you believe is the typical societal attitude regarding mental illness? The societal attitude towards mental health is evolving but evolving from what measuring point is the issue.  In the early 1900’s, the US had established institutions that were designed and staffed to handle an appropriate population for the facility size.  The facilities were staffed for the population and the success rate of helping these patients was high.  However, after World War 1 and the corresponding increases in the US population, mental illness resources have not kept pace with the needs of the population.  Historically speaking, since that time, mental illness has been treated as a problem to be contained.    Yes JFK passed legislature to make changes but the common perception of mental illness has been associated with a negative stigma.  The situation was made worse with the general budget cuts that occurred in the 1980’s which put mentally ill people on the streets instead of facilities where they could get help.  This led to a corresponding increase in the prison population, which is far more expensive to maintain than mental health facilities.In more recent years thankfully, the perception of mental illness and mental health counseling has experienced a decrease in the perceived negative stigma of the general population.  More people see mental health counseling as a viable treatment that improves the quality of life for the patients and is a resource to be considered and utilized.  The stigma is not gone, but it is decreasing, and hopefully will continue to decrease over time.How were you affected by watching this video? The video was quite horrific.  With the severe level of disability displayed, we are reminded that there is an obligation to help those who can not help themselves.  Social Justice/ Advocacy is the fight for what is right, to fight for the fair treatment of all people.  It is hard to imagine that conditions that horrific existed in the United States and not only were the resources not increased, but they were actually reduced repeatedly.  These budget cuts are the best indicator of how the general population perceived mental illness at that time.  If this was a priority, the resources would have been increased not decreased.  After watching this video, I would like to believe that these facilities are improved and something we can be proud of but I have my concerns.  I believe in the US way of life, but when Jeff Bezos (Amazon) is worth $110 Billion and 6 members of the Walton Family (Walmart) are worth more than the bottom 30% of the US population, I think we need to recognize that the robber barons are back and changes are needed.  These changes would provide more resources for those who need it most.

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I think the typical societal attitude toward mental illness, both in the 60's when this documentary was made, as well as today, is overall fear. People with mental illness are often looked at by those who are not well educated in the subject, as unpredictable, unstable, and unintelligent, when that is most often not the case. In the time when the documentary was made, the thought was that in order to keep those affected with mental illness safe, as well as keep the public safe, they needed to be isolated in locked and secure facilities. We now know that in most cases, this is unnecessary and damaging, often causing the individual to progress further into the illness than if they were receiving proper care and treatment. I am glad that reform has happened and we no longer have facilities quite as horrible as Willowbrook, but mental illness still holds such an awful stigma, and many facilities are not therapeutic in nature. I think we still have a very long way to go in de-stigmatizing mental illness, and that is one of my goals in becoming a mental health counselor; in addition to counseling, I hope to be very involved in advocacy for those affected by mental illness.