Mental health has great importance for the welfare both of individuals and society, because mental disorders cause reduced quality of life, suffering, alienation and discrimination of the diseased. The whole community also takes enormous burden of economic factors caused by mental health impairment (medical and social care and reduced productivity of patients). All societies and cultures throughout history had specific activities aimed at prevention and mental health improvement.The treatment of the diseased was under the influence of magic and empirical concepts, doctrine and religion, but also by the presence of scientific knowledge and progressive liberal streams. In Serbia the tradition of humanity is enriched with the cultural heritage of medieval history. Mental hygiene as a discipline that promoted mental health and the prevention of mental disorders was created a hundred years ago inspired by the work of Clifford Beers. Reforms of mental healthcare in the European countries, and Serbia as well, in the form of deinstitutionalisation (decreased number of beds in psychiatric institutions and increased social care), tends to develop into reinstitutionalization or transinstitutionalization (increased number of patients in isolated departments and forced hospitalizations). At the beginning of the new century the World Health Organization recognises again mental health as its priority. At the present moment, with new scientific knowledge and capabilities, but in the face of the struggle with multiple challenges of civilization (the experience of war conditions, social transition), as well as new harmful influences of polluted environment, we perceive the experience arising from the development of ideas and practices of mental hygiene in Serbia.