Dorothea Dix was a leader in reform and an advocate for the mentally ill during the nineteenth century. After suffering from severe depression and physical illness in 1836, Dix traveled to England where she stayed for five years. During her time in the U.K. she learned of reforms in the treatment of insanity and met Samuel Tuke. Returning to her home in Massachusetts in 1841, Dix began working in a women’s prison teaching Sunday school. She found that many inmates suffered from psychiatric disabilities and were being abused and neglected in prison. Dix’s career in reforming the care of persons with mental illnesses began. During her career Dix traveled throughout the country lobbying for the development of asylums by state and federal government. Her work played a direct role in the establishment of 32 state institutions that cared for people with mental illnesses.
References:
Warder, G. (n.d.). Miss Dorothea Dix. Education: Essay. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/edu/essay.html?id=35.