History of Schizophrenia

Our understanding of psychology is always evolving. As we make more discoveries, we are able to better understand human behaviors. This can be seen by comparing our current knowledge and medical practices relating to psychology to how diseases were once understood and treated. One chronic psychological brain disorder that has had a long history of misunderstanding and violence is schizophrenia. Its history is riddled with spiritual causes and inhumane treatments. There is not much known on the cause of this disorder, but it is categorized by a decline in brain function, delusions, hallucinations and emotional withdrawal. Schizophrenia can be traced in historical records as early as ancient Egypt.

The ancient Egyptian book The Book of Hearts describes symptoms that today we associate with schizophrenia. The ancient Egyptians believed that such mental disorders and psychosis were caused by diseases in the heart and that the heart and uterus were affected by poison, as they believed that the mind and heart were one. The ancient Greeks, however, believed that schizophrenia was caused by an imbalance in the four bodily humors, vital fluids they believed needed to be balanced for a person to be healthy, which were blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. Although this may sound strange to us today, this philosophy was the basis of ancient Greek medicine. Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician, was the first to believe that mental disorders had a biological cause, like the four bodily humors.

The middle ages marked a turn in how schizophrenia was viewed. In this time period, religious dominance over medical views began. People with the disorder were said to be sinful and were trapped in demonic possession as a punishment for their sins. This view of schizophrenia led to inhumane practices in the treatment of the disease. One of these practices was lobotomies, which were used in an attempt to release the demonic presence believed to be in the brain. People were kept in asylums that were nicknamed fools towers. This name came about due to derogatory terms like, “fools”or “lunatics” being used to describe a person with mental illness or disease. Although a few resources suggest that some doctors during this time thought schizophrenia was caused by an imbalance in the body- like overworking and grief- it is obvious that most people believed demonic possession was the cause of the disorder. This time period’s horrible perception and practices continued for centuries into the modern era. The asylums remained and so did inhumane practices. Asylums were more like zoos than treatment centers, and in the modern era, schizophrenia was not viewed as a disorder but rather madness.

During the modern era, one physician, Phillipe Pinel, stood up for his patients. He was one of few doctors who treated schizophrenia during this time. He stood up for their rights by refusing to chain them, and advocated for humane treatment like access to proper hygiene and exercise for their well-being. Pinel also practiced unusual therapy techniques for the time period. He ensured that there was a trusting relationship between him and his patients. He treated them with respect and made sure that his patients were not exposed to triggering stimuli. Philippe Pinel pioneered humane treatment for mental disorders and diseases. He paved the way for kinder treatment towards all psychiatric patients.

In the 20th century, we can still see lobotomies as a treatment procedure, although it has become a last resort. Other treatments that were developed include insulin induced comas, metrazol shocks- injecting a dangerous amount of a chemical that caused convulsions and comas- and electrically induced seizures. These treatments were harsh and dangerous, though some say they offered short term benefits. However, when antipsychotic medications were discovered in the 1950s, these methods were slowly eradicated over the years. These drugs greatly improved by the 1990s.

We’ve clearly come a long way with our methods and understanding of schizophrenia. We may still see negative preconceptions that are a result of our history of misunderstanding and inhumane treatments, but we can raise awareness and pave a path forward for treating schizophrenia. Today, antipsychotics are the most commonly used medications, but antidepressants and mood stabilizers are also sometimes taken. The advancement in medication and treatment for this mental disorder, alongside efforts to end negative preconceptions, represent the coming chapters in a long history of understanding and managing schizophrenia.

Works Cited:

Burton. “Schizophrenia: A Brief History - Living With Schizophrenia.” Living with Schizophrenia UK, 2012, https://livingwithschizophreniauk.org/information-sheets/schizophrenia-a-brief-history/. Accessed 10 November 2025.

García, Jorge Tomás. “The Origin and Causes of Schizophrenia and Madness in Greek Culture.” History of the Ancient World, 31 October 2015, https://www.historyoftheancientworld.com/2015/10/the-origin-and-causes-of-schizophrenia-and-madness-in-greek-culture/. Accessed 15 December 2025.

“Psychiatry.org - What is Schizophrenia?” American Psychiatric Association, https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/schizophrenia/what-is-schizophrenia. Accessed 9 November 2025.

“Understanding the History of Schizophrenia.” Psych Central, Healthline Media, 25 June 2025, https://psychcentral.com/schizophrenia/history-of-schizophrenia#origins-and-history. Accessed 9 November 2025.