Amariah Brigham

Amariah Brigham (born December 26, 1798, New Marlborough, Massachusetts, U.S.—died September 8, 1849, Utica, New York) was an American doctor and administrator who, as one of the leaders of the asylum movement in the 19th century, advocated for humane treatment of the mentally ill.

Brigham, who was orphaned at age 11, studied with several doctors before opening a medical practice when he was 21. The venture, however, was largely unsuccessful. He subsequently wrote on various health issues and taught before becoming superintendent of the Hartford Retreat for the Insane (later known as the Institute of Living) in Connecticut. At the time, many institutions for the mentally ill were known for their abusive treatment and deplorable conditions. Brigham, who believed that most mental illness could be cured, enacted practices and policies that derived from his advocacy of moral treatment, which had originated in Europe in the 18th century. The approach called for the creation of a respectful and nurturing environment similar to a domestic home while encouraging physical activity and various leisure pursuits, such as reading. Brigham also encouraged attendants to assume roles that would later be filled by trained therapists. The reforms he instituted became central to the era’s asylum movement and were widely influential. In 1842 he became superintendent of the New York State Lunatic Asylum (later called Utica State Hospital); he remained there until his death in 1849.

In 1844 Brigham was one of the 13 founders of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane, which later became the American Psychiatric Association. That year Brigham also founded the American Journal of Insanity (later known as the American Journal of Psychiatry), one of the first English-language journals devoted exclusively to mental illness.