黑料网 Program in History and Mental Illness
Archive to Bedside
The 黑料网 Program in History and Mental Illness works to produce new understandings of mental illness in North Carolina, based on a unique archive of digitized original records stretching from the advent of the asylum movement in the mid-19th century to the de-segregation of state mental health facilities in the mid-1960s.
This program is catalyzed by the 鈥淎sylum in the Archives鈥� initiative of the Community Histories Workshop, (2017鈥� Robert Allen, PI). The initiative鈥檚 core team, including Sarah Almond, Cris McFarland, Lucas Kelley, Nate Nihart, Emma Stout, Leah Tams, and Abby Wooten, represent more than 20 years of experience working with archival records reflecting the history of psychiatry, insanity, and involuntary commitment in North Carolina. They bring backgrounds in archiving and data management, digital humanities, digital history, public history, and communication studies.
Our Goals
- Develop a hub for cutting-edge interdisciplinary, collaborative historical research into mental illness, with a focus on the experience of North Carolinians
- Develop research models for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of our growing internationally significant archive of public records pertaining to the history of mental illness
- Build infrastructure, tools, and work processes that allow us to collaborate more effectively and work more efficiently
- Serve as a vehicle for a sustainable historically-focused research track for selected psychiatry residents
- Identify, digitize, and transcribe historical admission ledgers for Broughton Hospital (Morganton, NC), creating a relational database for all commitment records in NC between 1856-1925
- Radically (and measurably) accelerate the translation of archival discoveries into learning opportunities that will enhance the training of the next generation of mental health professionals
Background
This program is catalyzed by the 鈥淎sylum in the Archives鈥� initiative of the Community Histories Workshop, (2017– Robert Allen, PI). The initiative鈥檚 core team, including Sarah Almond, Cris McFarland, Nate Nihart, Emma Stout, Leah Tams, and Abby Wooten, represent more than 20 years of experience working with archival records reflecting the history of psychiatry, insanity, and involuntary commitment in North Carolina. They bring backgrounds in archiving and data management, digital humanities, digital history, public history, and communication studies.
Accomplishments to date
- Digitization, transcription, curation of admission ledger records for the first 7,500 patients at the North Carolina Hospital for the Insane (Dix Hospital) between 1856 and 1922
- Digitization, transcription, and curation of admission ledger records for the first 8000 patients at the North Carolina Hospital for the Colored Insane (Cherry Hospital) between 1880 and 1922
- Digitization of 5000 Dix Hospital general case book records (1887-1922)
- Digitization of medical staff interviews with recently admitted patients (1916-1918)
- Incorporation of Dix and Cherry records into a relational database
- Adaptation of Transkribus, AI-powered handwriting recognition platform, for use with historical medical records
- Digitization and initial curation of microfilmed 鈥渓unacy commission鈥� (involuntary commitment) papers for individuals declared insane in NC between 1899-1966: approximately 250 reels of 35mm microfilm, each containing 250-300 record images
Historically Focused Resident Research Track
With Professor Allen as research mentor and Dr. Bradley Gaynes as faculty advisor, selected psychiatry residents (to date: Dr. Philip Feibusch, Dr. Jack McKenzie, and Dr. Olivia Weiner) explore the materials and methods of digitally-inflected research as applied the history of mental illness, especially as it was experienced by North Carolinians.
Current Research Emphases
- Comparative descriptive analysis of patient admission, supposed cause, diagnosis, duration of confinement, and disposition for Dix Hospital and Cherry Hospital (1900-1924)
- Development of advanced AI-driven text extraction (key-value pairs) from county-level commitment forms (1899-1966)
- Analysis of involuntary commitment process as reflected in county court records
About Us
Gary Gala, MD, FACS
Co-Director, 黑料网 Program in History and Mental Illness
Robert C. Allen, PhD
Co-Director, 黑料网 Program in History and Mental Illness
Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry
Research Professor of American Studies
James Logan Godfrey Distinguished Professor Emeritus of American Studies
Robert C. (Bobby) Allen has been at 黑料网 for 47 years.聽 His academic background is in the social and cultural history of the American South, particularly North Carolina, and has authored or edited nine academic books.聽 Since 2008 he has focused on the application of digital technologies to history and the humanities, having been awarded the Rosenzweig Prize for Innovation in Digital History by the American Historical Association (2011) and the inaugural Harvey Award to Advance Institutional Priorities at 黑料网. He was founder and director of the 黑料网 Digital Innovation Lab (2011-16), co-PI (with Dean Terry Rhodes) of the Carolina Digital Humanities Initiative (2012-2016), and co-director of the Community Histories Workshop (2016–). 聽 He served as associate dean for honors from 1987-1999.聽聽 His teaching spans first-year honors seminars to graduate research practicums.聽 In 2011 he received the Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.聽 He has held research fellowships from the National Humanities Center, National Endowment for the Humanities, and American Council of Learned Societies.聽 In 2024 he was elected to membership in the North Caroliniana Society.
颁辞苍迟补肠迟:听rallen@email.unc.edu
