The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding Of Madness

In the 1970s, a psychiatrist named David Rosenhan conducted an undercover experiment that would change our understanding of madness. Rosenhan and seven other people, all of whom were sane, admitted themselves to psychiatric hospitals and pretended to be mentally ill. They were all quickly diagnosed with mental illness and subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment.

The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness

by Susannah Cahalan

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	10692 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	468 pages

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Rosenhan's experiment showed that the psychiatric system was unable to distinguish between the sane and the insane, and that people who were labeled as mentally ill were often treated as second-class citizens. The experiment also raised questions about the validity of psychiatric diagnosis and the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment.

The Experiment

In 1972, Rosenhan and his seven accomplices, who included a psychologist, a pediatrician, a psychiatrist, a painter, a housewife, and a student, admitted themselves to 12 different psychiatric hospitals across the United States. They all complained of hearing voices, and they all adopted pseudonyms and gave false personal histories. None of the hospitals suspected that they were not actually mentally ill.

The patients were all admitted to the hospitals and subjected to a battery of tests and examinations. They were all diagnosed with mental illness, and they were all given medication. The patients were also subjected to a variety of degrading and humiliating treatments, including being stripped naked, being locked in seclusion, and being given electroconvulsive therapy.

After spending several days in the hospitals, the patients were all released. They were all diagnosed with "schizophrenia in remission" and were told to continue taking their medication.

The Results

Rosenhan's experiment had a profound impact on the psychiatric profession. It showed that the psychiatric system was unable to distinguish between the sane and the insane, and that people who were labeled as mentally ill were often treated as second-class citizens. The experiment also raised questions about the validity of psychiatric diagnosis and the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment.

In the years since Rosenhan's experiment, there have been a number of other studies that have confirmed his findings. These studies have shown that psychiatric diagnosis is often unreliable and that psychiatric treatment is often ineffective.

The Implications

Rosenhan's experiment has had a number of important implications for the psychiatric profession. First, it has shown that psychiatric diagnosis is not as reliable as we once thought. Second, it has shown that people who are labeled as mentally ill are often treated as second-class citizens. Third, it has raised questions about the validity of psychiatric treatment.

These implications have led to a number of changes in the way that mental illness is treated. First, there has been a move towards deinstitutionalization, or the closing of psychiatric hospitals. Second, there has been a shift towards community-based care, which provides treatment for people with mental illness in their own homes and communities. Third, there has been a greater emphasis on psychosocial treatments, such as therapy and counseling, rather than on medication.

Rosenhan's experiment was a landmark study that changed the way we think about mental illness. It showed that the psychiatric system is not as reliable as we once thought, and that people who are labeled as mentally ill are often treated as second-class citizens. The experiment also raised questions about the validity of psychiatric diagnosis and the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment. These implications have led to a number of important changes in the way that mental illness is treated.

The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness

by Susannah Cahalan

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	10692 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	468 pages

FREE