<p>It wasn't lack of funds that closed mental institutions, it was Ronald Reagan and politics piggy-backed on "compassion" for mentally ill people. It was felt by some (or more) that most mental institutions treated their patients poorly, or even abused patients, and that the patients would do better if out in the real world with out-patient support. I think this was a glass straw though, since of course, very sick patients would not, or will not, go to out-patient treatment on their own. Reagan really just didn't want to continue tax-payer support for mentally ill people. True, there was abuse, and I'm sure that some people were put in institutions for little to no reason (women who were "hysterical" for instance, or young men who didn't fit "the norm"), but closing them all piece-meal like that has obviously left us with many problems.</p>
<p>I knew that Ronald Reagan was the reason for that "lack of funds". I just didn't want to get into it, haha. It was really sad. Many hospitals in California just opened their doors and released the people onto the street. Pretty much Social Darwinism.</p>