Menninger Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Menninger Foundation was founded in 1919 by the Menninger family in Topeka, Kansas
, and consists of a clinic
, a sanatorium
, and a school of psychiatry
, all of which bear the Menninger name. In 2003, the Menninger Clinic moved to Houston. The foundation was started by Drs. Karl
, Will
, and Charles F.
Menninger.
It represented the first group psychiatry
practice. "We had a vision," Dr. C. F. Menninger said, "of a better kind of medicine and a better kind of world."
program, a Professionals in Crisis program (PIC), the Compass Young Adult program (for people between 18-30 with mental disorders and/or substance abuse issues), and the Hope Adult program(for people between 18-60 with mental illness).
Hospital represented the center of a psychiatric education revolution. The Clinic and the School became the hub for training professionals in the bio-psycho-social approach. This approach integrated the foundations of medical
, psychodynamic
, developmental, and family
systems to focus on the overall health
of patients. For patients, this way of treatment attended to their physical, emotion
al, and social needs.
, The Human Mind (1930), became a bestseller
and familiarized the American public with human behavior
. Many Americans also read his subsequent books, including The Vital Balance, Man Against Himself and Love Against Hate.
. This approach involved a patient's total environment in treatment.
Dr. Will Menninger served as Chief of the Army Medical Corps' Psychiatric Division during World War II. Under his leadership, the Army reduced losses in personnel due to psychological impairment. In 1945, the Army promoted Dr. Will to brigadier general.
After the war, Dr. Will lead a national revolution to reform state sanitarium
s.
In 1948, Time magazine
featured Dr. Will on its cover, lauding him as "psychiatry’s U.S. sales manager."
The Menninger Foundation gained a reputation for intensive, individualized treatment, particularly for patients with complex or long-standing symptoms. The treatment approach was multidimensional, addressing a patient’s medical, psychological, and social needs. Numerous independent organizations recognized the Menninger Foundation as a world leader in psychiatric and behavioral health treatment.
The Menninger Clinic is referred to in paraphrase as the "Berringer Clinic" in the movie The Exorcist
.
In the 1960s the Menninger Clinic studied Swami Rama
, a noted yogi
, specifically investigating his ability to exercise voluntary control of bodily processes (such as heartbeat) which are normally considered non-voluntary (autonomous) and also the famous Yoga Nidra
.
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, and consists of a clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
, a sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
, and a school of psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
, all of which bear the Menninger name. In 2003, the Menninger Clinic moved to Houston. The foundation was started by Drs. Karl
Karl Menninger
Karl Augustus Menninger , was an American psychiatrist and a member of the famous Menninger family of psychiatrists who founded the Menninger Foundation and the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas.- Biography :...
, Will
William C. Menninger
William Claire Menninger was a co-founder with his brother Karl and his father of The Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas, which is an internationally known center for treatment of behavioral disorders.-Boy Scouts:...
, and Charles F.
Charles Frederick Menninger
Charles Frederick Menninger was a physician who helped found the Menninger Foundation with his sons, Karl and William. The Charles Frederick Menninger Award is given by the American Psychoanalytic Association for original research in psycho-analysis.Menninger is honored together with William W...
Menninger.
It represented the first group psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
practice. "We had a vision," Dr. C. F. Menninger said, "of a better kind of medicine and a better kind of world."
History
- 1919: The Menninger Clinic was founded.
- 1925: The Menninger Sanitarium was founded.
- 1926: The Menninger Clinic established the Southard School for childChildBiologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren. The school fostered treatment programs for children and adolescentsAdolescenceAdolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
that were recognized worldwide. - 1930's: The Menningers expanded trainingTrainingThe term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
programs for psychiatrists, psychologistPsychologistPsychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
s, and other mental health professionals. - 1941: The Menninger Foundation was established.
- 1946: The Menninger School of Psychiatry was established. It quickly became the largest training center in the country, driven by the country's demand for psychiatrists to treat military veterans.
- December 2002: Menninger announced its affiliation with Baylor College of MedicineBaylor College of MedicineBaylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and leading center for biomedical research and clinical care...
and The Methodist HospitalThe Methodist HospitalThe Methodist Hospital is a hospital located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Established in 1919 as an outreach ministry of The United Methodist Church, Methodist is one of the most comprehensive teaching hospitals in the United States, with leading specialists in every field of...
. The concept was that Menninger would perform treatment while Baylor would oversee research and education. - June 2003: The Menninger Clinic moved from Topeka, KansasTopeka, KansasTopeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
to its present location in Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
Current Facilities
As of 2005, the Menninger Clinic has an Adolescent Treatment Program, an Eating Disorders program (EDP), which admits both adults and adolescents, an Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderObsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
program, a Professionals in Crisis program (PIC), the Compass Young Adult program (for people between 18-30 with mental disorders and/or substance abuse issues), and the Hope Adult program(for people between 18-60 with mental illness).
Revolution in psychiatric education
The Menninger School of Psychiatry and the local Veterans AdministrationUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
Hospital represented the center of a psychiatric education revolution. The Clinic and the School became the hub for training professionals in the bio-psycho-social approach. This approach integrated the foundations of medical
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, psychodynamic
Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a form of depth psychology, the primary focus of which is to reveal the unconscious content of a client's psyche in an effort to alleviate psychic tension. In this way, it is similar to psychoanalysis. It also relies on the interpersonal relationship between client...
, developmental, and family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
systems to focus on the overall health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
of patients. For patients, this way of treatment attended to their physical, emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
al, and social needs.
Karl Menninger
Dr. Karl Menninger's first bookBook
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
, The Human Mind (1930), became a bestseller
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
and familiarized the American public with human behavior
Human behavior
Human behavior refers to the range of behaviors exhibited by humans and which are influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics....
. Many Americans also read his subsequent books, including The Vital Balance, Man Against Himself and Love Against Hate.
Will Menninger
Dr. Will Menninger made a major contribution to the field of psychiatry when he developed a system of hospital treatment known as milieu therapyMilieu Therapy
Milieu Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves the use of therapeutic communities. Patients join a group of around 30, for between 9 and 18 months. During their stay, patients are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and the others within the unit. Milieu therapy is thought to...
. This approach involved a patient's total environment in treatment.
Dr. Will Menninger served as Chief of the Army Medical Corps' Psychiatric Division during World War II. Under his leadership, the Army reduced losses in personnel due to psychological impairment. In 1945, the Army promoted Dr. Will to brigadier general.
After the war, Dr. Will lead a national revolution to reform state sanitarium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
s.
In 1948, Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
featured Dr. Will on its cover, lauding him as "psychiatry’s U.S. sales manager."
Menninger Reputation
At The Menninger Clinic, staff proceeded to launch new treatment approaches and open specialty programs.The Menninger Foundation gained a reputation for intensive, individualized treatment, particularly for patients with complex or long-standing symptoms. The treatment approach was multidimensional, addressing a patient’s medical, psychological, and social needs. Numerous independent organizations recognized the Menninger Foundation as a world leader in psychiatric and behavioral health treatment.
The Menninger Clinic is referred to in paraphrase as the "Berringer Clinic" in the movie The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
.
Famous Patients
Because of its excellent reputation, the Menninger Clinic became the mental health inpatient treatment center of choice for Hollywood stars and other celebrities. Among these were:- Richard CarpenterRichard Carpenter (musician)Richard Lynn Carpenter is an American pop musician, best known as one half of the brother/sister duo The Carpenters, along with his sister Karen Carpenter. He was a producer, arranger, pianist and keyboardist, and occasional lyricist, as well as joining with Karen on harmony...
- Brett FavreBrett FavreBrett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
- Bill Hayward, son of actress, Margaret SullavanMargaret SullavanMargaret Brooke Sullavan was an American stage and film actress. Sullavan started her career on the stage in 1929. In 1933 she caught the attention of movie director John M. Stahl and had her debut on the screen that same year in Only Yesterday...
, and producer, Leland HaywardLeland HaywardLeland Hayward was a Hollywood and Broadway agent and theatrical producer. He produced the original Broadway stage productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific and The Sound of Music.-Early years:... - Gene TierneyGene TierneyGene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include...
- Max BemisMax BemisMax Bemis is the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Say Anything. He is also co singer along side Chris Conley of the supergroup Two Tongues, which features members from Say Anything and Saves the Day.-The Early Years:...
Research
The Menninger Clinic remains one of the primary North American settings supporting psychodynamically informed research on clinical diagnosis, assessment, and treatment. Recently, efforts have been organized around the construct of mentalizing, a concept integrating research activities related to attachment, theory of mind, internal representations, and neuroscience.In the 1960s the Menninger Clinic studied Swami Rama
Swami Rama
Swāmī Rāma was born Brij Kiśore Dhasmana or Brij Kiśore Kumar, to a northern Indian Brahmin family in a small village called Toli in the Garhwal Himalayas. He became the lineage holder of the Sankya Yoga tradition of the Himalayan Masters...
, a noted yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
, specifically investigating his ability to exercise voluntary control of bodily processes (such as heartbeat) which are normally considered non-voluntary (autonomous) and also the famous Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra
Yoga-nidra or "yogi sleep" is a sleep-like state which yogis report to experience during their meditations.The practice of yoga relaxation has been found to reduce tension and anxiety. The autonomic symptoms of high anxiety such as headache, giddiness, chest pain, palpitations, sweating, abdominal...
.
See also
- Roy W. MenningerRoy W. MenningerRoy Wright Menninger, MD is the third generation of one of America’s leading medical families.Roy's grandfather, father and uncle established the Menninger Foundation in 1925 in Topeka, Kansas...
- W. Walter MenningerW. Walter MenningerWilliam Walter Menninger, MD, known by his peers as "Dr. Walt", is the third generation of one of America’s leading medical families.Walt attended Stanford University where he was a brother of Alpha Phi Omega and graduated in 1953....
- Harriet LernerHarriet LernerHarriet Lerner, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and a contributor to feminist theory and therapy. From 1972 to 2001 she was a staff psychologist at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas and a faculty member and supervisor in the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry...
- Riley GardnerRiley GardnerDr. Riley W. Gardner , born in Ree Heights, South Dakota, was an American psychologist who published works on individual differences and cognition.-Early life and education:...
- The New York Foundation
External links
- Menninger Clinic official website
- Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic
- The Topeka Capital Journals in-depth coverage of Menninger leaving Topeka - index page
- U.S. News & World Report psychiatric hospital rankings
- Menninger Family Archives from Kansas State Historical SocietyHistorical societyA historical society is an organization that collects, researches, interprets and preserves information or items of historical interest. Generally, a historical society focuses on a specific geographical area, such as a county or town or subject, such as aviation or rail. Many historical...
- ERICA GOODE - Famed Psychiatric Clinic Abandons Prairie Home - New York Times Article 2003