The sociologist Emile Durkheim developed the functionalist perspective of society based on his interest in social order and stability. This perspective is defined as the sociological approach that views society as a stable and ordered system (Kendall 2014, 17). When the functionalist perspective is applied to the problem of mental illness in society, mental illness is believed to challenge society's ability to provide stable and effective treatment. In society, illness is socially defined and regarded as any type of interference with health (Kendall 2014, 411). The functionalist perspective views mental illness as a form of deviant behavior that can be measured and organized to improve the overall order of society. The functionalist perspective views society as composed of parts that contribute to the overall stability of society. In this case, the development of a treatment for mental illness would contribute to the advancement of order and stability in institutions such as family, education, and government in society. Mental illness is something that can be controlled by society once identified in the functionalist perspective. Talcott Parsons was a sociologist who observed mental illness in society and developed the idea of ​​the "sick role" in 1951. The sick role is the set of expectations that define the norms and values ​​for those who are considered ill and for those who interact with the outside world. sick. Parsons believed that mentally ill people do not contribute constructively to society and break down its structure. He asked that the sick role have some primary characteristics that define it. Individuals considered mentally ill are not responsible for their condition and should not continue to perform their everyday roles such as work... middle of paper... d for so long (Kendall 2014). However, this seemed like a viable solution in the 1960s, when new psychoactive drugs were used to treat mental disorders (Kendall 2014). More recently, however, people with mental disorders do not receive professional treatment. Many people seek psychotherapy to understand their condition (Kendall 2014). Mental illness is, without a doubt, part of our society. We must learn from our past while looking to the future to develop the most ideal treatment options for mental illness. We've learned a lot about mental illness through many different treatments, but some of the most promising options point toward psychotherapy and new pharmaceutical technologies. We must also take note of these existing theories of mental illness and expand upon them in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of mental illness as a whole..