Psychiatric stigma in the classical and medieval period: a review of the literature

It is widely appreciated that a social stigma surrounds psychiatric illness in contemporary society. Researchers have concentrated on the nature and consequences of psychiatric stigma. Although there exists much work on the social history of mental illness, stigma, per se, has not often been addressed in historical studies. This is a review of material bearing on the question of psychiatric stigma in classical antiquity and the medieval era of Western European societies. The cultural and social factors that contributed to the development of psychiatric stigma are reviewed and analyzed.