Johann Christian Reil, a German psychologist, helped to make a distinction between philosophy and psychology by giving credence to the field of psychology at the time. He is often credited with coining the term "psychiatry" (Schochow, Steger). Psychiatry, in it's most basic interpretation, is essentially treating the mind as something that can be rehabilitated. This would mean that different conditions could be applied to the state of mind that somebody is in, and an intervention process could exist depending on the circumstances. "Thus, Reil spoke of “madmen” as sick people who required medical care, vehemently advocated the introduction of public insane asylums as well as the humane treatment of the “mentally ill..." (Schochow, Steger). Instead of just labelling individuals and assuming that they cannot be "fixed," Reil believed that nearly all conditions of the mind had not only a source of the issue, but a fix for the problem. 

         1803 was a critical year for advancements in psychological treatment, as Reil advocated for institutionalization. "...he published his Rhapsodieen über die Anwendung der psychischen Curmethode auf Geisteszerrüttungen (Rhapsodies About Applying the Methods of Treatment to Disorganized Spirits). It included poems, songs, and prose, in which Reil called for the establishment of public asylums" (Schochow, Steger). The advocation for public asylums and spreading the term "psychiatry" is useful in the interpretation of Jane Eyre, particularly when focusing on the treatment of Bertha Mason and the state of mind of Helen Burns and Jane Eyre early in the novel.