Psychiatr. pro Praxi, 2010; 11(1): 40-41

Antipsychiatry movement

doc.MUDr.Radovan Přikryl, Ph.D.

Psychiatrická klinika LF MU a FN Brno

The origin of the antipsychiatry movement dates back to the 1960s. Its representatives of those days, coming primarily from the ranks

of psychiatrists and psychologists, criticized the then position of psychiatry. Thomas Szasz, professor of psychiatry, is considered to be

the principal ideologist of the movement. The antipsychiatry refused to recognize the existence of mental diseases as symptoms of the

disease; on the contrary, it regarded them as a natural response of an individual to the psychosocial stress. However, the original ideas

of the antipsychiatry movement were not preserved for long. Actually, it was the trend which demonstrated mixed ideas; the stability

of the movement was also eroded by strong resistance of traditionally oriented psychiatrists. Apart from its inconsistent views, the

antipsychiatry has brought a number of positive facts into psychiatry. It pointed out comprehensiveness of mental disorders and has

helped to deinstitutionalize the psychiatric care.

Keywords: antipsychiatry, deinstitucionalization, Foucault, Szasz

Published: January 1, 2010  Show citation