Mad in America : bad science, bad medicine, and the enduring mistreatment of the mentally ill / Robert Whitaker.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Whitaker, Robert.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Schizophrenia--Treatment--United States--History.

Schizophrenia.

Mentally ill--Care--United States--History.

Mentally ill.

Mentally ill--Care.

Schizophrenia--Treatment.

History.

United States.

Physical Description:

xviii, 348 pages ; 24 cm

Edition:

Revised paperback.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Basic Books, 2010.

Summary:

A social history of the treatment of the mentally ill in America, this survey reveals the various methods of treatment from the 17th century to today: spinning, chilling, lobotomizing, and electroshock therapy, to name a few. Whitaker's position is skeptical when he compares the treatment of the mentally ill in America to those affected in other countries.

Contents:

Preface to the revised edition

The original Bedlam (1750-1900). Bedlam in medicine ; The healing hand of kindness

The darkest era (1900-1950). Unfit to breed ; Too much intelligence ; Brain damage as miracle therapy

Back to Bedlam (1950-1990s). Modern-day alchemy ; The patient's reality ; The story we told ourselves ; Shame of a nation ; The Nuremberg Code doesn't apply here

Mad medicine today (1990s-present). Not so atypical ; Epilogue

Afterword to the revised edition.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-336) and index.

ISBN:

0465020143

9780465020140

OCLC:

671542902

Publisher Number:

99944998451