The National Institute of Health or NIH defines mental illness as a health problem that changes a person's thinking, feelings, and/or behavior. It is normal for a person with mental illness to have difficulty functioning. Some may have severe symptoms, while others only have a mild condition, allowing them to appear and act normally. Mental illness can take a variety of forms, such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which in recent years has become a popular diagnosis among children. . A person with ADHD will exhibit symptoms such as disorganization, feelings of worthlessness, or inappropriate guilt. While a person with schizophrenia may hold false beliefs, including theories such as conspiracies, mind control, or persecution (NIH, 2013). According to Woodside and McClam (2013), before all these new scientific discoveries, people believed that mental illness was caused by evil spirits. Due to lack of research and knowledge, barbaric methods have been used to treat the mentally ill. An early form of treatment was trephining the skull, which involved using a crude saw to remove circular discs of bone. It was believed that a hole in the head would allow evil spirits to escape. Exorcising evil spirits through religious rites was another method used as treatment. Other forms of treatment included chaining, beating, starving, and bleeding the human host. At that time, very few people believed in the scientific approach to treating the symptoms of mental illness. One of these people was Hippocrates, a physician who had different beliefs than those who used barbaric treatment methods. He believed the problems... middle of paper ... are homelessness and joblessness. Therefore, in addition to treatment, they also need basic items such as food and clothing for their shelter. This is where social service staff come in, as they are the ones who would ensure that basic community care is provided. So far, community-based treatment seems to be working because there are not many mentally ill people helplessly circulating in the community. The only thing I see is that many are still arrested and sentenced to prison instead of being institutionalized. However, the government recognized this and ensured treatment continued while the mentally ill were incarcerated. This also includes their work with social workers in prison to ensure successful integration into society after their release. Overall, I think the government has a good system for caring for the mentally ill..