Mad in America

Mad in America
Source: Whitaker, R. (2019). Mad in America: Bad science, bad medicine, and the enduring mistreatment of the
mentally ill. Philadelphia: Perseus.

This assignment is broken into four prompts that correlate with each of the four sections of the book and a conclusion.
Respond to each of the following prompts. Use examples directly from Mad in America. Do not exceed 5 pages.

Part One: The Original Bedlam (1750-1900)
Identify and briefly explain two similarities and two difference between health care and mental health care in this time period.
Note: Review the Preindustrial era in your Textbook.

Part Two: The Darkest Era (1900-1950)
The Textbook discusses the evolution of the medical profession as part of the Post-Industrial era. Briefly compare the evolution of physical health doctors and psychiatry/psychology. Were they similar? Different? How?
Note: Use direct examples to demonstrate your understanding and be sure to explain why you compared concepts as similar, different, or both.

Part Three: Back to Bedlam (1950-1990s)
This section directly challenges modern psychiatry, exposes a very dark period in modern history, and is the most controversial. Whitaker places the treatment of people with mental illness in the context of global sentiments and events. He is quite critical of both the media and pharmaceutical companies.
What is your general observation and reaction to this section? Choose two topics that grabbed your attention and tell me why you chose them. Why are the significant and worthy of your time?
Note: Things you might consider but are not restricted to: Were you shocked? Did this happen in your family? Does this run counter to your own knowledge or beliefs? Is the portrayal of this time period accurate (why or why not)?

Part Four: Mad Medicine Today (1990s-Present)
This section marks the conclusion of Whitakers history of the evolution of mental health in the United States and the point in which you decide what you take from this book. Do you agree or disagree with Whitakers summation in Chapter 11, why or why not? Be sure to use examples to support your conclusion(s).

General writing guidelines to help you be successful.
* Formatting: Double spaced, 1 margins, 12-point font (please!). There is no need for a cover page or page numbers. Do watch your spelling and grammar.
* Note on Paragraphs: Paragraphs are not just throwing all your ideas together under an indent. Paragraphs have a structure that includes a lead in or introductory sentence for the main topic of the paragraph. Three to four sentences laying out your ideas and argument(s) then a final sentence that wraps it up. This is a rough guide to standard writing mechanics (I am not counting your sentences).
* Note on Quotes: Use quotes sparingly, if at all. You do not have the space to fully demonstrate your understanding by using quotes. Paraphrase and synthesize is what you are after unless the quote is such that paraphrasing diminishes the impact.

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