There was a feminist putsch against keeping patients in mental hospitals long ago, and it was accompanied by movies showing women trapped in mental institutions at the whims of evil male administrators. As for much of the current consequences being seen, maybe our national whorehouse needs to be cleaned up (moral bankruptcy). Both the mother and son should have been properly evaluated with the whole battery of tests.
“Snake Pit” with Olivia de Haviland, comes to mind. A great, but disturbing movie. Alot of those old movies revolved around characters in the insane asylum.