On the 1st December, the Sixth Form Psychology students went to the Bethlem Royal Hospital to visit its Museum of the Mind.
Bethlem, also known as Bedlam, is Europes oldest mental health institute and the Museum of the Mind is a museum and gallery which showcases historic objects and artworks from former patients.
When we first arrived, we had a talk explaining the hospitals long history and the way mental health was viewed and treated pre-NHS. After lunch, the students viewed the museum and gallery, which enlightened many students on not only the vast number of different types of mental illness but the serious and distressing impact it can have on its most vulnerable victims. The museum held objects which demonstrated the huge way treatment of mental health and the publics perception of the illnesses and their sufferers have changed over the years. The artworks from former patients were particularly captivating as they portrayed the inner workings of a mind entrapped by serious mental illness.
After we viewed the museum, we took part in a workshop which involved making decisions that those at the hospital are required to make each day. We were shown a film about a young patient wishing to take weekend leave and we were required to decide whether this was a right or wrong decision to make in her circumstances. We learnt about the procedures and thought processes the staff have to go through as well as considering the Mental Health and Human Rights Act. This helped us understand the many levels of emotion, evidence, instinct, legality and experience needed to work in the mental health sector.
Overall, it was a fascinating and engaging day and we all went away with a greater awareness of mental health as a whole. We would like to thank the staff at Bethlem Hospital and Mrs Hammond for arranging such an insightful and interesting day.
Lydia
Lower Sixth
