Closing The Asylum

By Peter Barham,

Book cover of Closing The Asylum: The Mental Patient in Modern Society

Book description

Though they had mostly all been closed by the turn of the century, the passing of the old Victorian asylums is still a matter of enduring controversy. First published almost thirty years ago, in this acclaimed book Peter Barham draws on examples from history, the contemporary mental health scene, and…

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1 author picked Closing The Asylum as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

In England, the Victorian asylums were built as beacons of hope, infused with optimism. But by the late 20th century virtually all of them had gone, unloved and unmourned. So what happened? Peter Barham takes you through the rise and fall of England’s national mental health service.

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