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Closing the World's Largest Mental Asylum

Kassum, Haley Michelle
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Abstract

Located in Milledgeville, Georgia, Central State Hospital once held the title of the World’s Largest Mental Asylum. At its height in the early 1960s, the institution reached a permanent population of over 12,000 people. This institution saw people from all social classes enter its doors. Through the observation of the closure of this asylum, the importance of both this location and Georgia’s role in mental healthcare provided a clear timeline for the evolution of treatment for mental health and disability today. Additionally, the effects of decentralization and after deinstitutionalization are most clear following the changes undergone at this asylum during the years during which Rosalynn Carter was politically active, both at the state and national levels. By constructing this timeline, the fallout of the deinstitutionalization of mental asylums within other public issues is visible, which include education, incarceration, and homelessness.

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2024-08-07
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Keywords
Deinstitutionalization, Decentralization, Central State Hospital, Mental Health, Disability
Citation
Kassum, Haley Michelle. "Closing the World's Largest Mental Asylum." Thesis. Georgia State University, 2024. https://doi.org/10.57709/37393272
Embargo Lift Date
2026-07-26
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