Institutionalizing Madness

Booknews

Psychologist Elizur and family therapist Minuchin dramatize the dehumanizing force of mental health systems, using four actual family cases to explore the interaction of families, patients, and institutions. The cases illustrate the disastrous consequences of professional biases and institutional failures. As a viable alternative to hospitalization, the authors describe a variety of community-based services that provide social support and structured programs. A very powerful analysis. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)