The Development of Mental Health Services in the Jewish Community

Gelbart, O. (2012) The Development of Mental Health Services in the Jewish Community in Pre-State Israel during the British Mandate Period (1917-1948). (Presentation) The International History of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Background: The foundations of Israel's mental health services pre-date the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.  Many social and political structures took form in the British Mandate period (1917-1948), during which the Jewish community operated as a state-in-the-making. The rise of the Nazis in Germany and the Second World War had a decisive impact on the development of mental health services during this period in Palestine since mentally ill persons could no longer be "returned" to their country of origin as was done prior to 1933. Lack of adequate Mandatory mental health services, and the fact that sending people back to their country of origin would have spelled a death sentence, led the Jewish community to develop its own mental health services

Research goals: The research describes and analyzes development of mental health services from 1917 to 1948, focusing on three issues: factors that influenced the need for and development of such services; the character of the institutions established, and of healthcare personnel and patients; and the nature of existing health maintenance organizations' operations at the time

Methods: Historical qualitative research was based on a review of the research literature, archival documents, historic documents and semi-structured interviews with healthcare personnel who were involved or familiar with the subject matter and individuals whose families owned private health institutions

Findings: Mental health services during the Mandate period developed in an unplanned and ad-hoc fashion. They developed due to a unique set of circumstances: the influx of mentally-ill immigrants and the inability to send them back; public pressure to open institutions to treat patients locally; and the fact that the Mandatory authorities refrained from intervening and addressing this need within the Jewish sector. Thus, additional public institutions and services needed to be established by the Jewish community to augment existing privately-owned Jewish institutions. This pattern reflects not only social needs, but also political interests and financial support, as well as wider geopolitical realities

Learning objectives: What were the factors which influenced the development of the mental health services during the British Mandate of pre- state Israel? How did the rise of the Nazis  in Europe influence the status of mentally ill immigrants in pre- state Israel? How were the mentally ill treated by the residents of pre-state Israel