Some predominant themes in American Psychosis are: providing for individuals with mental illness should be a state responsibility; federal involvement destroyed existing and emerging state mental health systems; deinstitutionalization has gone too far; the community mental health centers did not live up to their promise of caring for the severely ill; and the public needs to be protected from individuals with severe mental illness.
Full Answer
What is the deinstitutionalization movement?
This movement, later referred to as "deinstitutionalization," continues to impact mental health care. Though he never publicly acknowledged it, the program was a tribute to Kennedy's sister Rosemary, who was born mildly retarded and developed a schizophrenia-like illness.
What did John F Kennedy say about mental illness?
4 Reviews. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered an historic speech on mental illness and retardation. He described sweeping new programs to replace "the shabby treatment of the many millions of the mentally disabled in custodial institutions" with treatment in community mental health centers. This movement, later referred ...
Why are mental health services so ineffective?
At least one-third of the homeless are seriously mentally ill, jails and prisons are grossly overcrowded, largely because the seriously mentally ill constitute 20 percent of prisoners, and public facilities are overrun by untreated individuals.
Who is Dr. E. Fuller Torrey?
Fuller Torrey is Executive Director of the Stanley Medical Research Institute in Chevy Chase, MD, founder of the Treatment Advocacy Center, and Professor of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
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Community Reviews
I devoured this book reading of the dangers of A Freudian influenced psychiatric community, tales of lobotomies, individuals doped up on Thorazine, and treatment of the mentally ill catering to family members frustrated with dealing with their children or embarrassed of their maladies, so institutions and procedures to make the afflicted family member docile.
