Over the past 60-70 years, there have been significant changes in the amount of money allocated to mental health services and policies. In the mid-20th century, mental health was often stigmatized and neglected, and funding for mental health services was minimal. This was reflected in the widespread use of institutionalization, where individuals with mental illness were often confined to large, overcrowded psychiatric hospitals that provided little in the way of therapeutic treatment or support.
However, beginning in the 1960s and 1970s, there was a growing recognition of the importance of mental health and the need for more effective and humane treatments for individuals with mental illness. This led to a series of reforms and policy changes, including the deinstitutionalization movement, which aimed to move individuals with mental illness out of large institutions and into community-based care. Additionally, federal and state governments began to invest more money in mental health research, treatment, and prevention. The creation of the National Institute of Mental Health in 1949 and the Community Mental Health Act of 1963 were significant milestones in the movement towards greater funding and attention to mental health services and policies.
Despite these advancements, however, funding for mental health services and policies remains a contentious issue. In recent years, there has been concern that funding for mental health has not kept pace with the growing prevalence of mental illness, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on mental health. Many advocates have called for greater investment in mental health services and policies, including increased funding for research, prevention, and treatment, as well as greater access to mental health services for all individuals, regardless of income or insurance status.