Reprinted with permission from Openmind 99 (September/October 1999) ©1999 Mind (National Association for Mental Health) POST-PSYCHIATRY Pat Bracken and Phil Thomas Since the caustic critiques of Szasz and Laing in the 1960’s, the concept of schizophrenia has been attacked from a variety of quarters. The psychiatric establishment has defended the diagnosis vigorously, and schizophrenia continues

Reprinted with permission from Openmind 98 (July/August 1999) © 1999 Mind (National Association for Mental Health) POST-PSYCHIATRY Pat Bracken and Phil Thomas The Macpherson report into the racist murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence has echoes in every corner of our lives. As the report says, “It is incumbent upon every institution to examine their

Reprinted with permission from Openmind © Mind (National Association for Mental Health) POST-PSYCHIATRY Pat Bracken and Phil Thomas The sweeping changes in mental health services introduced by Mr. Dobson will continue to affect people’s lives long after his footfalls have ceased to echo around the Palace of Westminster. Care in the community, he declared, has

Reprinted with permission from Openmind © Mind (National Association for Mental Health) POST-PSYCHIATRY Pat Bracken and Phil Thomas In our earlier articles we argued that psychiatry has failed to deliver its promises, and that a new debate about the limitations of psychiatry is required. The purpose now is to stimulate discussion about the legitimate sphere

Reprinted with permission from Openmind © Mind (National Association for Mental Health) POST-PSYCHIATRY Pat Bracken and Phil Thomas Like most other people in the country, we thought we were waking up to a new world on May 2nd 1997. We hoped the new government would bring a fresh approach to the health service, and to

Reprinted with permission from Openmind 92 (July/August 1998) © 1998 Mind (National Association for Mental Health) POST-PSYCHIATRY Opening a closed book Pat Bracken and Phil Thomas The ‘buzz’ word in medical education these days is continuous professional development (CPD). In 1991, the Royal College of Psychiatrists introduced a CPD policy in response to increasing expectations