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Mysteries of Mental Illness

Episode 3 Preview: The Rise and Fall of the Asylum

Mass confinement in mental asylums and extreme treatments – from lobotomy to coma therapy – were the standard for treating mental illness in the United States until a few decades ago. Today, one of the largest de-facto mental health facilities in the United States is Cook County Jail in Chicago, where more than one-third of inmates have a mental health diagnosis.

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New Frontiers
54:00
Today, with cutting-edge treatments for mental illness, the biggest battle is inclusion.
The Rise and Fall of the Asylum
54:00
The fascinating story behind the rise and fall of the mental asylum in the United States.
Who’s Normal?
54:00
Science and societal factors shape ever-shifting definitions of mental health and illness.
Evil or Illness
54:00
Treatment of mental illness over history has been trial and error.
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