American Journal of Psychiatry

The American Journal of Psychiatry is a prominent English-language periodical dedicated to mental illness. It was founded in 1844 as the American Journal of Insanity by Amariah Brigham, a doctor and administrator who was a leader in the 19th-century asylum movement. Brigham advocated for humane treatment of the mentally ill, implementing reforms that emphasized a respectful and nurturing environment. The journal's founding was a significant step in the development of psychiatric literature and practice in the United States. The American Psychiatric Association, which later became the journal's publisher, was also founded by Brigham and other leaders in the field in the same year.1