Final answer:
Psychotherapeutic agents were introduced in the 20th century, providing new treatments for mental health issues and reducing the need for institutionalization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychotherapeutic agents were first introduced in the 20th century. Before that, psychotic patients often faced institutionalization, with few available treatments for their conditions. The introduction of antipsychotic drugs occurred specifically in the 1940s and early 1950s, radically changing the landscape of mental health treatment. Prior to the availability of such medications, practices like the emotionally and physically damaging prefrontal lobotomy were common. The change brought on by psychotherapeutic agents was significant and provided a new therapeutic pathway, reducing the reliance on institutionalization and invasive procedures for treatment of mental health issues.