Research Paper on:
The Mentally Ill and Assertive Community Treatment

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
really not free. They are trapped by their own minds. Just as an alcoholic will typically not admit to his or her problem, as he or she is in denial,  a mentally ill person will often say they are perfectly fine, and will believe it. Much has to do with the fact that mental illness is something that will distort  their perception of what is okay. They may live in squalor, forget to take their medication, become violent and do things that inevitably hurt themselves or others. While many  would say that persuasion, or even coercion, are tactics that are necessary to make sure that the mentally ill are taken care of-as they must be treated whether they like  it or not-there are two sides to the story. The idea brings up the question of responsibility. Is society responsible for the mentally ill or are family members the ones  who should bear the burden? What is the role of assertive community treatment with respect to mental health? First, a quick look at how mentally ill people have been  treated throughout the years is in order. It should be noted that the asylum became predominate during the eighteenth century (Wykes & Holloway, 2000). After all, it was a time  when not much was known about mental illness and the right way to treat it. Many medications used today were not developed at the time. Thus, locking someone away due  to behavior exhibited that was little understood was the way things were done. When the nineteenth century began, there was a reform movement (2000). Various approaches would emphasize kindness, and  minimize coercion (2000). Fast forward to the twenty-first century and the role of assertive community treatment is somewhat muddled. What is the role of the community anyway? How much