Studying how the mental health of people from ancient times - a fresh approach to mental health research?

[ScarlettR]

I remember someone telling me that cavepeople had to walk miles for food and shelter, and no other commute other than animal. Yet in those times, the cavepeople didn't have the mental illnesses that we have now.

So what makes the cavepeople/ people of ancient times less depressed/anxious/mentally well than us modern humans, even though they didn't have the technology and services we have now?

I suppose studying the mental health in ancient times would be a fresh approach to mental health research. I find this research interesting, anxiety-reducing and even exciting - to think that the first humans were actually quite mentally well!

I'm proposing discussion of mental health in ancient times, to compare historical and contemporary mental health, as a way to study mental health and understand how we think the way we do, as a result of centuries of human evolution and societal progression.

[smallwolf]

Sounds like a good idea.

One difference between then and now are time and work pressures, and associated demands.

Additionally, there are the effects of social media. People can be keyboard warriors and hide behind anonymity. There is also the issue of "keeping up with the Jones'". And if not social media there are glossy magazines. Or people engage their mouth before their brain?

Could the effects of processed foods and fast food have an impact? Just throwing that out there.

Things are mostly instantly available now compared to then. Want a new TV... Just go buy one. Games load instantly. In the 1980s games took 20 min to load from cassette. That would cause anxiety issues with some kids today.

I am not saying that life was ideal then, however advances in technology do not necessarily advance the human mind. Was speaking with someone last year and I said that we can put a man on the moon but we don't care for our neighbour.

That said, some might also say that back when people did have mental illnesses but then might be considered as being possessed by demons. This cannot be proved but is a valid theory that has been put forward by some scholars.

I would be curious to read what you find out.

[Elizabeth CP]

Looking back over my life I notice some distinct changes. As a young child living in England dads went to work while mothers stayed home with the children. I remember spending most of my time playing with my friends in the street. Either I was at home with my friends or we were at my friends place or playing in the laneway behind our houses. Even when my children were young a neighbour moved in & asked if we could build a gate between our properties so our kids could move between easily. My kids loved having playmates available all the time & I found my mental health improved because my kids were happy so I had less to worry about & my neighbour & I were there to help each other & just be friends. Today my children are much more isolated as their neighbours are all at work during the week.

In caveman times people lived in groups with extended family & friends/ clan members. Women would have done their chores together. Children would have played with each other with all the mothers sharing supervision. The men would hunt together. I think that built in support is important with everyone sharing tasks & feeling part of the community. This would have really helped their MH I believe.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi,

This is a really interesting thread!

So there’s a lot that comes to my mind straightaway, the biggest one being technology and convenience.

Cave people/people of ancient times seemed to have been brought up in communities. Families were joined at the hip, and one child might have been brought up by several families. There was constant socialisation. There was no need for playgrounds because children improvised with what they had. Even people who didn’t have children were still a big part of these communities. There was no need to feel lonely or isolated.
Compare that to now, and it’s quite common for people to not socialise or talk with one another.

The other thing that comes to mind is wealth. As money started to separate the ‘rich from the poor’, we started to compare more. We wanted what the Joneses had. Initially that want/desire was crucial for survival (shelter/food), but over time I imagine it just became what’s shiny.

I think this ties into advertising too - we don’t just want what’s shiny - we want to be the person who has the shiny thing. I imagine that’s where the body image phases/obsessions went with people like Madonna and Twiggy.

I think smallwolf has a great point too around foods. This was something I thought of too. Initially it was just around needing food for energy - but somehow along the way it’s transformed into good food/bad food. We now have a cooking channel and it’s easy as pie to access food - but yet it can cause us so much distress. (Think the costs of dieting and eating disorders).

I’ll stop now! It feels like a long discussion! If you ever end up doing anything with the research give me a holler! I would love to read it!

P.S. I just thought that I’d add I do think there was a lot of mental illness. The difference is it wasn’t known about and it wasn’t talked about. It was shamed. If someone had a mental illness they were either hidden (if it was a wealthy family) or sent away. I have read some awful stories about how mental illness was managed before today.