The person who most strongly influenced humane reforms for the mentally ill in the united states was

The person who most strongly influenced humane reforms for the mentally ill in the United States was Dorothea Dix, who lived from 1802 until 1887. Dorothea Dix was a school teacher from Maine who struggled at times with her own physical and mental health. This may have contributed to her becoming compassionate towards others who struggled with mental illness. In her lifetime, she founded over 30 hospitals dedicated to the treatment of mentally ill patients. She challenged a prevailing mindset of her day that people with mental illness could not be helped or improved. She was an advocate for the humane treatment of those in mental hospitals. At the time, common practices towards mentally ill patients included neglect, malnutrition, caging them like animals, and physically restraining them in such a way as to cause pain. Overall, Dorothea Dix spent 40 years lobbying the United States Congress to establish state hospitals for the mentally ill. She worked tirelessly to change how society views the mentally ill and to advocate for laws providing proper treatment for these individuals.