Emil Kraepelin

Emil Kraepelin was a pioneering psychiatrist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who greatly advanced the understanding of mental health by classifying mental illnesses based on their symptoms and courses over time. He distinguished between different conditions, notably separating schizophrenia ("dementia praecox") from bipolar disorder ("manic-depressive illness"). Kraepelin’s systematic approach laid the foundation for modern psychiatric diagnoses, emphasizing that mental disorders have biological and genetic components. His work helped shift mental health treatment from vague categories to precise, research-based classifications, improving diagnosis, research, and treatment strategies.