The Deadly 1930sThe Treatment and Lives of the Mentally Handicapped During the Great Depression “The Great Depression was a worldwide economic crisis of the 1930s” (Fetzer; p. 338 ). The Great Depression caused a catastrophic amount of grief and distress for the citizens of the United States. Some of these citizens, however, faced more issues that caused grief and distress than others. Among these citizens were mentally ill people. During the era of the Great Depression, the mentally disabled were treated unfairly in almost every aspect of their lives; this included how society treated them, how they were treated medically, and even how their personal lives were affected. Throughout the Great Depression, the mentally disabled were treated harshly and faced almost constant harassment by society. The mentally ill were treated in this cruel manner because they were seen as the cause of some of the problems in society at the time. Additionally, society viewed them as less capable of being human beings. A physician of the time named Alexis Carrel said, “The mentally ill should be disposed of humanely and economically in small euthanasia institutions supplied with appropriate gases” (Freeman; “Treatment of…”). Not only did Alexis Carrel feel this way, but many other people in the United States shared this feeling, Teel 2, due to the belief that mentally unstable people were incapable and insignificant human beings. An excellent example of this view of the mentally handicapped can be found in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, with the character Lennie. The other characters in this novel, such as George and Curley, treat Lennie as if he were a child throughout the novel. George never lets him talk when he's in the middle of a newspaper... much worse than the others, the citizens love the mentally ill. The treatment and lives of the mentally disabled during the Great Depression were horrible. They were treated poorly in every imaginable area of ​​their lives, from the way society treated them, their health care, and their personal lives. It was a difficult time for the mentally ill. Teel 6Works cited “Electroconclusive Therapy (ECT)”. Definition. Mayo Foundation, October 26, 2012. Web. April 1, 2014.Fetzer, Scott. The World Book Encyclopedia. Flight. 8. Chicago, IL: World Book, 2009. Print. GFreeman, Shanna. “How lobotomies work.” How things work. HowStuffWorks.com, October 27, 2008. Internet. March 28, 2014. Lee, Angela. “Treatment of the Mentally Disabled During the Great Depression.” » Prezi.com.Np, November 13, 2013. Web. April 1, 2014. Steinbeck, John. Of mice and men. New York: Penguing, 1933. Print.