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Mental illness in TOS

Kirk in Obsession.
Kirk in "Conscience of the King."
Laura Cynthia Chambers said:
It's interesting that so many episode stories are driven by the actions of mentally ill individuals. Was it a 60s thing (these kinds of plotlines)?

Are the rigors of space to blame for its prevalence, in universe?
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One of the major themes in SF I would read as I discovered more about Trek was about the impact of space travel on human psychology. Since there had been little study of it at the time of TOS I would imagine it was on people's minds.
 
Didn't Harry Mudd receive rehabilitation treatment at some point? Might be misremembering, though.
 
MCCOY: My work, Jim. This is prescription stuff. Don't forget, the explosion that threw Scotty against a bulkhead was caused by a woman.
KIRK: Physically he's all right. Am I right in assuming that?
MCCOY: Oh, yes, yes. As a matter of fact, considerable psychological damage could have been caused. For example, his total resentment toward women.
KIRK: He seems he's overcoming his resentment.
MCCOY: Of course, in my professional opinion, when he gets back to the ship, he's going to hate you for making him leave Argelius. But then he will have lost total resentment toward women.
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Isn't it just that McCoy's being sarcastic, and Kirk doesn't get the joke?
 
The portrayal of mental illness in TOS is usually pretty silly- people are almost always just generic 'crazy' which makes them evil. Like I love 'Whom Gods Destroy', its a very fun and camp episode but its a Batman level portrayal of psychiatry. And then at the end we have a magic medicine that cures all mental illness (yay?)

Ah, well, product of its time I guess. I think mental illness is just a quick and easy way to explain the actions of a villain, which is why its such a common storytelling device.

Don't know if it counts for your list, but IIRC 'Lights of Zetaar' brings up the idea that space travel can cause paranoia etc in those not used to it.
 
tonk'peh said:
Ah, well, product of its time I guess. I think mental illness is just a quick and easy way to explain the actions of a villain, which is why its such a common storytelling device.
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All these examples are humans. I suppose it was meant to suggest that evil humans are insane and can be reformed - we've "moved beyond" evil (ridiculous), while enemies that display hostility initially can be reasoned with if reasonable, and blasted out of space if not.
 
Plenty of examples in more modern dramas, especially police or court procedurals. All kinds of mentally disturbed criminals, victims, or witnesses.
 
If you're going to have a weekly show, then you're going to have a lot of bad guys, and if you're going to have a lot of bad guys, then you're going to need to give them motivations, and sometimes their motivations are going to come from mental health issues.
 
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