The mental hygiene movement changed thinking about childhood, promoting the idea that childhood experiences contributed to adult mental illness. As a result, mental hygiene proponents advocated _________ policies, such as sterilization of the mentally ill.

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The mental hygiene movement believed that mental illness had a genetic basis and advocated eugenic policies, such as sterilizing the mentally ill, in order to prevent them from passing on their supposed defective genes to future generations. The movement also aimed to improve mental health through education and hygiene, but those policies are not specifically mentioned in relation to sterilization. Civil rights were not a priority for mental hygiene proponents, as they focused more on preventing the perceived societal burden of mental illness.

The Mental Hygiene Movement Changed Thinking About Childhood, Promoting the Idea