Psychiatry and Its Discontents

by Andrew Scull

Written by one of the world’s most distinguished historians of psychiatry, Psychiatry and Its Discontents provides a wide-ranging and critical perspective on the profession that dominates the treatment of mental illness. Andrew Scull traces the rise of the field, the midcentury hegemony of psychoanalytic methods, and the paradigm's decline with the ascendance of biological and pharmaceutical approaches to mental illness. The book's historical sweep is broad, ranging from the age of the asylum to the rise of psychopharmacology and the dubious triumphs of "community care." The essays in Psychiatry and Its Discontents provide a vivid and compelling portrait of the recurring crises of legitimacy experienced by "mad-doctors," as psychiatrists were once called, and illustrates the impact of psychiatry’s ideas and interventions on the lives of those afflicted with mental illness.

Genres: Psychology, Psychiatry, Nonfiction, Medicine, History, Mental Health, Science

376 pages, Hardcover

Published July 30, 2019

About the author

Andrew T. Scull (born 1947) is a British-born sociologist whose research is centered on the social history of medicine and particularly psychiatry. He is a Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Science Studies at University of California, San Diego and recipient of the Roy Porter Medal for lifetime contributions to the history of medicine. His books include Madhouse: A Tragic Tale of Megalomania and Modern Medicine and Madness in Civilization: A Cultural History of Insanity.

Scull was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of Allan Edward Scull, a civil engineer and Marjorie née Corrigan, a college teacher. He received his BA with first class honors from Balliol College, Oxford. He then studied at Princeton University, receiving his MA in Sociology in 1971 and his Ph.D. in 1974. He was a postdoc at University College London in 1976-77.

Scull taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1973 until 1978 when was appointed to the sociology faculty at University of California, San Diego as an Associate Professor. He was appointed a full professor in 1982, and Distinguished Professor in 1994.

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve learned a lot from reading Scull over the years, but while he would probably deny it, he is relentlessly hostile to every form of psychiatric treatment. Much of this book is devoted to debunking “march of progress” narratives, but that debunking is by now as hackneyed as the march of progress narratives themselves. There’s plenty to criticize in psychiatry’s past and present, but to read Scull you would think no good has come out of the profession at all. A lot of people who have felt substantial relief from debilitating symptoms would disagree. Don’t they deserve some place in the discussion?

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bit of a lazy book that didn't quite meet my expectations. You'd think a book titled Psychiatry and Its Discontents would have at least a couple of solid chapters on the critical and anti-psychiatry movements, and some good depth on the various patient, consumer, and survivor movements.

Even though I didn't get what I was expecting, it was a very rewarding read. The chapters were very much a hit and miss experience. But when they were enough juicy hits to more than make up for the occasional dud. The collection of essays was quite sweeping and has helped me build up quite a list of books to read in this field. It feels quite bizarre to give such a book 4 stars but it's planted so many seeds that I'm sure will be fertile. And for that, I was almost tempted to give it 5 stars.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of essays is incredibly well researched, brilliant in its analysis, and devastating in its incisive critique of the contemporary project of psychiatry. Especially helpful were the book reviews of current thought shaping books on neuroscience and its (alleged) hegemony over psychiatric problems, as well as the chapter charting the history of the APA's DSM (Diagnostic and Statistic Manual, the "bible" of modern psychiatry). Scull's sharp wit is on display in many of these writings, making me laugh, wince, and think.