Philippe Pinel

Philippe Pinel was a French physician in the late 18th and early 19th centuries who is regarded as a pioneer in mental health reform. He believed that mental illnesses should be treated with compassion rather than punishment or neglect. Pinel advocated for more humane treatment of patients, reducing the use of restraint and promoting moral therapy—therapy focused on kindness and understanding. His work helped shift psychiatric care towards a more compassionate and scientific approach, laying the foundation for modern mental health treatment.