Out of Sight : The Rise and Fall of the Asylum-Madness

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Summary

Originally denoting a place of refuge, the word "asylum" became associated with brutal institutions for locking up people with mental illness. As attitudes about psychosis evolved reformers began t...

Originally denoting a place of refuge, the word "asylum" became associated with brutal institutions for locking up people with mental illness. As attitudes about psychosis evolved reformers began to provide more humane shelter, but these soon devolved into overcrowded, prison-like facilities that were not much better than what had come before. This program traces the history of mental institutions, noting how theories of care reflected the social mores of the time. The advent of psychiatric drugs means more patients now live outside of hospitals, but without structured treatment many become homeless-raising the question of whether reform has gone far enough.

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