Capstone Project - Pt. 6 (Mid Research Review)

Over the past few weeks, my research has been leading up to this point. Throughout the investigation, I have tried to answer the question that fueled such a project in the first place: “Are we making strives forward in the area of our mental health services?” The answer was—more or less surprisingly—hard to decipher, especially with the information I had found. This paper will discuss my recent findings, how the pieces of my capstone fit together, and finally, the direction this project is heading in.

            The research I have done so far has been reading a nonfiction book, watching the episode of a television show, reading a few articles, and watching a documentary. My issue has just the right amount of broadness by having a large timeline to work with, but it is narrow enough so I know what I want to focus on, which is if we are making strives forward in this field. Luckily, the research I’ve found is very focused, and though there is a cornucopia of knowledge, it is all focused on the idea that we are stagnating as whole regarding modern day mental health services.

            The common thread that connects my research is the idea of progress and eventual stagnation. In “Sybil”, Dr. Wilbur uses tools new to psychologists and psychiatrists at the time like hypnosis and sodium pentothal (Truth Serum). The same could be said for doctors working in Bethlem Royal Hospital in the 16-1700s, who used a variety of techniques, though more torturous and now discontinued, to treat patients. As for the articles and television show, we see their modern counterparts. The articles, as well as their paired activity of a discussion show that there are many issues preventing people from getting proper care, such as stigma, and the inability to get proper care because the facilities of today just aren’t up to par with what people need. This is elaborated on by the television show episode where I watched “60 Minutes” by showing that the only place for people to really go is the emergency room, and even then, they cannot stay there long enough to get proper treatment.

In the future, I hope to find information on the treatment of mental health patients during the early 19^th century, and since the only blue boxes left are a PowerPoint and a fiction book/movie, it will have to be done through the fiction book/movie box. This information will bring everything together and make the answers I have already found very concrete, but I am aware that there may be some counter arguments. If I can flesh these out as well, I feel it will also help my research in the future.

Overall, with my recent findings, how they fit together, and the direction I think my capstone is going, I believe that I have successfully answered my question of whether or not we are making strides in the field of mental health services. Though this is only the mid research review, I know that my answers will be made concrete by the time the final research review rolls around.