Ont i själen (1981)

Until the mid-1960s, the number of establishments increased significantly in Sweden. In 1840, there were just over 32 enrolled patients per 100,000 inhabitants, in 1960 it was almost 14 times more. This was part of the development of the welfare state and of modern society. The idea was that the mentally disturbed would receive qualified care by trained staff at the psychiatric hospitals. In 1967, the Mental care peak was reached with 487 patients per 100,000 inhabitants. Since then, the curve has dropped. No one believed that institutional care was the only possible path to health. Open psychiatric wards would instead take care of the sick.