Friday Offtopic: The 1973 Experiment That Challenged Psychiatry

[kiaa]

In 1973, psychologist David Rosenhan tested whether psychiatrists could reliably distinguish sanity from mental illness. 8 mentally healthy volunteers presented at 12 US psychiatric hospitals, each reporting a single symptom—hearing vague voices. All were admitted and diagnosed, often with schizophrenia.

Once hospitalized, the volunteers behaved normally. Despite this, staff interpreted ordinary actions as symptoms of illness. Other patients quickly recognized the volunteers were not ill, but medical professionals did not. No one was released as sane, everyone who was discharged went out with a "schizophrenia, in remission" diagnosis.

When a hospital later claimed it could detect impostors, Rosenhan warned that fake patients would arrive. The hospital identified 41 supposed fakes. Rosenhan had sent none.

The study did not suggest patients fabricate illness, it demonstrated how institutional labels can override objective judgment and obscure the person beneath the diagnosis.

Food for thought.

Comments

[tcpip]

I wonder if the experiment was conducted with modern equipment (MRI, PET scans, etc), whether that would make a difference.