Psychiatry and Its Discontents

"From the Victorian asylum era and the rise and fall of psychoanalysis to the arrival of psychopharmacology and neuroscience, Scull chronicles the medicalization of mental illness with balance and scepticism. He is trenchant on psychiatry’s failures, from prefrontal lobotomy to ‘care in the community’; critical of neuro-reductionism; eloquent on diagnosis debates; and ever aware of the human suffering at his chronicle’s core.”—Nature

“As a collection of previously published material gathered from diverse sources, this book suffers from a certain amount of repetition; however the author has done a service in bringing it together, the writing is lively, the scandals attached to its principal actors are dutifully weighed and the scholarship is impressive.”—Times Literary Supplement

“An enthralling collection that will shock many, enrage some, and entertain all.”—Simon Rich, author of Hits and Misses

“A must-read for those interested in learning about the fraught history of psychiatry.”—Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire

“Andrew Scull’s deep historical knowledge of the interlocking fields of neurology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, neuroscience, and psychology give him unparalleled insight into mental health. Psychiatry and Its Discontents should be read by historians, social scientists, practitioners, and patients alike.”—Lisa Appignanesi, author of Everyday Madness and Mad, Bad, and Sad

“The definitive account of the treatment of mental illness from its beginnings to the present day. An outstanding accomplishment.”—Patrick McGrath, author of Spider, Asylum, and Trauma

“Scull is a master of the complex space where history, sociology, social policy, and ethics meet. An indispensable book for anyone concerned with history and health policy.”—Charles E. Rosenberg, author of Our Present Complaint

“A bracing and important contribution to the history of psychiatry. I may disagree with several of its conclusions and the things Scull chooses to emphasize, but the book is meant to be provocative. It engages the reader in thinking about the controversies that attend the study and treatment of mental illness.”—Kay Redfield Jamison, author of Robert Lowell: Setting the River on Fire