A belief that the causes of mental illness are physiological is a new idea that emerged only at the end of the 20th century. Is this statement true or false?

The belief that physiological factors can cause mental illness is not a new idea that emerged only at the end of the 20th century; it has historical roots that date back much further. Concepts linking mental health to biological and physiological processes have existed since ancient times. For example, Hippocrates in the 5th century BCE proposed that mental disorders could arise from imbalances in bodily fluids, which reflects an early understanding of the connection between physiology and mental health.

By the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century, advances in medical science began to provide more substantial evidence linking mental illnesses to biological factors. The development of psychopharmacology and neurobiology further solidified the understanding of mental illness as being influenced by physiological elements. As such, mental illness has long been viewed through both psychological and physiological lenses, making the statement false.