Att leva med melankoli : En studie om patienter diagnostiserade med melankoli i Kristinehamns hospital under tidigt 1900-tal

Sammanfattning: During the long 19th century and the great development of mental health care, several new hospitals were built, and new methods emerged. The society wanted healthy citizens who could work, to contribute to the economy and that made the mental hospitals very important during that time. The economic status of social classes was also reflected in the mental hospitals where patients were divided into different class units. In the first class, one could find patients with good economic backgrounds, meanwhile the poor patients were living in the crowded third class. This research follows the lives of five patients, three men and two women, who were diagnosed with melancholia during the early 20th century at Kristinehamn’s hospital. Letters, patient records, examinations etc. will be examined to get an insight into their lives, but also the doctors’ thoughts and methods. Their most common symptoms, how they were taken care of and how themselves experienced their illness will be discussed and analyzed in this paper.