Clifford Whittingham Beers

Clifford Whittingham Beers (March 30, 1876 – July 9, 1943) was an American mental health advocate who founded the American Foundation for Mental Hygiene and played a pivotal role in the early 20th-century mental health reform movement in the United States. His seminal work, A Mind That Found Itself (1908), is an autobiographical account of his own mental illness and experiences in asylums, which ignited a campaign to improve the care of the mentally ill.

Early Life and Education

Clifford Beers was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Ida and Robert Beers. He was one of five children in a prosperous family. Beers attended the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University, where he graduated in 1897 with a degree in business.

Mental Health Advocacy

In 1900, following a suicide attempt, Beers was institutionalized for three years. During his time in various institutions, he witnessed and endured severe abuse and neglect. These experiences motivated Beers to advocate for reform in the treatment of the mentally ill.

In 1908, Beers published A Mind That Found Itself, an autobiography detailing his experiences in mental institutions. The book's publication marked the beginning of Beers' lifelong dedication to mental health advocacy and reform. It led to the founding of the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene in 1908, the first organization of its kind in America, which later became the National Committee for Mental Hygiene.

Beers' efforts contributed significantly to the mental health reform movement, emphasizing the need for humane treatment of the mentally ill, the importance of preventive care, and the establishment of outpatient mental health clinics.

Legacy

Clifford Beers' work laid the foundation for modern mental health advocacy. In 1946, the National Mental Health Act was passed, leading to the creation of the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States. Beers' vision of a society that understands and supports mental health care continues to influence mental health policy and advocacy efforts worldwide.

Beers passed away on July 9, 1943, but his legacy lives on through the continued work of the Mental Health America organization, formerly known as the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, which he helped establish.

Selected Works

• A Mind That Found Itself (1908)

See Also

• Mental health reform in the United States
• History of mental health
• American Foundation for Mental Hygiene