Early Twentieth Century: Clifford Beers spearheads the founding of the National Committee of Mental Hygiene, which eventually evolves into the National Mental Health Association.

Mid-Twentieth Century: President Harry Truman signs the National Mental Health Act for research into mental illness. As a result, the National Institute of Mental Health is established.

Today: President George W. Bush establishes the New Freedom Commission to conduct a comprehensive mental health service delivery system, which recommends mental health screening for all school children.

Early Twentieth Century: Hospitals for the mentally ill become overcrowded. Added to the list of patients are soldiers returning home from World War I and, later, people suffering from the psychological effects of the Great Depression.

Mid-Twentieth Century: In the United States alone, there are 560,000 people in mental hospitals. This number will be the peak of mental hospital populations.

Today: Admittance to mental hospitals is...