I&#x27;d like to see some concrete evidence that people in the past did in fact had &quot;far less mental illness&quot;, and it is not just a result of them not being diagnosed. Most of the mental illnesses we know have been <i>defined</i> within last 100 years. In the past they may as well have been known as anything from demonic possession, and magic, to being stupid, being a brawler or a person ill-disposed.<p>Secondly, I wouldn&#x27;t underestimate the amount of coercion that was going on in the past. Sustenance farmers probably didn&#x27;t feel much direct coercion (besides the days when the nobility showed up to collect their dues), they were just mostly scared of going hungry. But factory workers in the early Industrial Revolution? Miners before, during and after that? Militaries of various times? If coercion causes mental illness, it should be reflected in the historical records. It&#x27;s probably worth checking.