Book Summary:
Phil Fennell's tightly argued study traces the history of the treatment of mental illness in Britain over the last 150 years. He focuses specifically on treatment without consent within psychiatric practice, and on the legal position, which, throughout the period, has tended to endorse it.
Treatment Without Consent provides analysis of the provisions and implications of a succession of Mental Health Acts. Many controversial areas are examined, such as the use of high-strength drugs, electro-convulsive therapy and the physical restraint of patients. Fennell also discusses the issue of the sterilization of the `unfit.' This work brings this complex and intriguing area of history to life; much of the key source material, such as records of important cases and statutes, is tabulated in a comprehensive appendix. The book also includes a detailed bibliography. |