Families fight to unlock sealed psychiatric records of lost ancestors
For years, Debby Hannigan has fought to uncover the medical records of her ancestor, Breta Meria Conole. Conole spent over two decades in a New York state psychiatric hospital, but strict privacy laws have kept her files sealed. Now, a growing movement is pushing to change these rules and unlock the past for families like Hannigan’s. In the 1800s, the U.S. saw a surge in state-run institutions built to confine people with mental illness. Many of these facilities became notorious for harsh conditions—overcrowding, neglect, and even physical restraints were common. Patients often endured years of confinement, with some dying inside and buried in unmarked graves.
State hospitals kept detailed records during this time, including notes, photographs, and observations of patients’ symptoms. But under current laws, these documents remain locked away. Federal privacy rules protect a patient’s health information for 50 years after their death. In New York, mental health records can stay sealed indefinitely, with only rare exceptions. Frustrated by these barriers, families and researchers are calling for reform. State Sen. Pat Fahy has proposed a bill in New York to reclassify mental health records of deceased patients as historic documents after 50 years. Massachusetts has already taken a similar step, making public records that are at least 75 years old or belong to individuals dead for over half a century. Hannigan’s repeated attempts to access Conole’s files have been denied twice. Her struggle highlights the broader fight to balance privacy with the right to uncover family histories buried in institutional archives.
If the proposed law passes, New York could join Massachusetts in opening long-sealed mental health records. Families would finally gain access to details about ancestors who lived and died in state hospitals. For now, the records of thousands—including Breta Meria Conole—remain out of reach, their stories still hidden.
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