Tag Archives: stress and overwork for asylum attendants

A Difficult Life for All

People Seated on a Bench Near Van Deusen Cottage, Kalamazoo State Mental Hospital

People Seated on a Bench Near Van Deusen Cottage, Kalamazoo State Mental Hospital

Though patients undoubtedly had wretched experiences at most asylums, the life of an attendant was also difficult. Even in the first decades of the twentieth century, it was usual for attendants and other staff (including physicians) to reside at the asylum where they worked. Continue reading