The Employment of People With Psychiatric Disabilities in Israeli Psychiatric Institutions

Patient employment at psychiatric institutions has been common in various forms in many Western countries. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of systematic research in this field. This study examines the history of this practice in Israel, from the establishment of the state in 1948 until the formal termination of patients’ work by the Treatment of Mental Patients Law in 1991. Two methodological approaches are used in this study: 25 interviews with policymakers and mental health professionals; and analysis of documents including official government archives and the writings of psychiatric patients found in institution publications. The study examines specific types of employment that psychiatric patients performed and sheds light on the phenomenon’s broader meaning for patients, policymakers, and mental health professionals, including the practical, ethical, financial, and political controversies it posed. As such, the study advances knowledge on the history of people with psychiatric disability and offers insights useful in settings such as therapeutic farms, which continue to employ psychiatric patients.