MENTAL HEALTH
‘KEY’ STUDIES
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF MENTAL HEALTH
Rosenhan- a study on being sane in insane places.
AIMS
Study 1- to find out whether, sane individuals would be admitted to the psychiatric hospitals
and whether they would be discovered to be frauds.
Study 2- to find out whether genuine patients would be misidentified as 'sane' by various
hospitals.
Sample
• 8 pseudo patients, three women and five men, there were 3 psychologists (including
Rosenhan), psychology graduate student, psychiatrist, pediatrician, painter, and a
housewife.
• 12 psychiatric hospitals
• To get admitted, they stated that they had been hearing voices, specifically with
words like "hollow" "empty" and "thud"
• After getting admitted, they acted completely normal.
General results
• All patients were successfully admitted based on their one symptom
• Despite showing no symptoms after admission, pseudo-patients were not detected
by hospital staff
• 35 out 118 genuine patients suggested that the pseudo-patients were not real, but
no hospital staff raised such concerns. This shows a tendency towards type 1 errors
in diagnosing healthy people as ill
• The length of hospital stay ranged from 7 to 53 days with the average lasting 19
days.
, Effect of labels
• Once admitted, pseudo-patients’ behavior was treated as a sign of their illness.
o When pacing in the hospital corridors form boredom, pseudo-patients were
asked by the nurse if they were nervous.
o When recording behavior in noted on the ward, pseudo patients were
described as 'engaging in writing behavior’
o When waiting outside the cafeteria entrance before lunch, pseudo-patients
were described as demonstrating the 'oral-acquisitive' nature of their
conditions
• All but one patient was diagnosed with schizophrenia in remission.
Hospital Life
• Hospitalization was described as a negative and unpleasant experience by all staff.
Patients had a lack of personal privacy and could be examined by anybody at any
time without warning.
• E.g. Hospital staff avoided interactions with patients.
• Individuals experienced depersonalization (not treated as individuals by staff). Some
members of staff engaged in physical abuse of patients.
• The pseudo patients reported that they felt powerless against authority and could
no longer make decisions for themselves.
Depersonalization
• Rosenhan suggested that depersonalization happens because staff may have
distrusted and feared patients, while also wanting to help them. This led to them
avoiding patients all together.
• The higher you were in the hierarchy, the less time you spent with patients.
Recommendations
• Rosenhan suggested that diagnostic labels do more harm than good and that in
hospitals 'the meaning of behavior can be easily misunderstood'.
• Rosenhan supports the use of community mental health centers and behavioral
therapy programs, as they aim to reduce stigma of the individual.
‘KEY’ STUDIES
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF MENTAL HEALTH
Rosenhan- a study on being sane in insane places.
AIMS
Study 1- to find out whether, sane individuals would be admitted to the psychiatric hospitals
and whether they would be discovered to be frauds.
Study 2- to find out whether genuine patients would be misidentified as 'sane' by various
hospitals.
Sample
• 8 pseudo patients, three women and five men, there were 3 psychologists (including
Rosenhan), psychology graduate student, psychiatrist, pediatrician, painter, and a
housewife.
• 12 psychiatric hospitals
• To get admitted, they stated that they had been hearing voices, specifically with
words like "hollow" "empty" and "thud"
• After getting admitted, they acted completely normal.
General results
• All patients were successfully admitted based on their one symptom
• Despite showing no symptoms after admission, pseudo-patients were not detected
by hospital staff
• 35 out 118 genuine patients suggested that the pseudo-patients were not real, but
no hospital staff raised such concerns. This shows a tendency towards type 1 errors
in diagnosing healthy people as ill
• The length of hospital stay ranged from 7 to 53 days with the average lasting 19
days.
, Effect of labels
• Once admitted, pseudo-patients’ behavior was treated as a sign of their illness.
o When pacing in the hospital corridors form boredom, pseudo-patients were
asked by the nurse if they were nervous.
o When recording behavior in noted on the ward, pseudo patients were
described as 'engaging in writing behavior’
o When waiting outside the cafeteria entrance before lunch, pseudo-patients
were described as demonstrating the 'oral-acquisitive' nature of their
conditions
• All but one patient was diagnosed with schizophrenia in remission.
Hospital Life
• Hospitalization was described as a negative and unpleasant experience by all staff.
Patients had a lack of personal privacy and could be examined by anybody at any
time without warning.
• E.g. Hospital staff avoided interactions with patients.
• Individuals experienced depersonalization (not treated as individuals by staff). Some
members of staff engaged in physical abuse of patients.
• The pseudo patients reported that they felt powerless against authority and could
no longer make decisions for themselves.
Depersonalization
• Rosenhan suggested that depersonalization happens because staff may have
distrusted and feared patients, while also wanting to help them. This led to them
avoiding patients all together.
• The higher you were in the hierarchy, the less time you spent with patients.
Recommendations
• Rosenhan suggested that diagnostic labels do more harm than good and that in
hospitals 'the meaning of behavior can be easily misunderstood'.
• Rosenhan supports the use of community mental health centers and behavioral
therapy programs, as they aim to reduce stigma of the individual.
