In the late 1800s, asylums functioned largely out of public view. Doctors alone could decide who was committed, and once inside, patients had almost no way to argue their case or secure release.

During the late 1800s, mental health care was a dark and often terrifying world hidden behind the walls of asylums. Few dared to question what went on inside, but Nellie Bly, a courageous journalist, ...