Un quart de siècle plus tard : notre malade... A quarter of a century later : our sick

Résumé

Psychiatre depuis 30 ans, l'auteur ramène au souvenir, à l'aide de son expérience, l'histoire de l'évolution de l'institution Robert-Giffard aussi bien que l'évolution de la psychiatrie au Québec. Il revoit les conditions de vie des patients et celles du personnel depuis le début des années 50. Il nous permet de se souvenir que le traitement scientifique et le progrès social ont permis une approche plus humaine envers ces personnes étiquetées malades mentaux.

SUMMARY

The author, a psychiatrist, has worked at the Centre hospitalier Robert Giffard (formerly St. Michel-Archange) at Quebec, for almost 30 years. In this article he brings to life, using many of his experiences, the history of the evolution of this institution as well as that of the evolution of Quebec psychiatry as a whole. He reviews the living conditions of the patients and those of the treatment staff since the beginning of the 1950* s. He allows us to remember that scientific as well as social progress have permitted a more humane approach to those people whom we have labelled insane.