The rise of the asylum constitutes one of the most profound, and controversial, events in the history of medicine. Academics around the world have begun to direct their attention to the origins of the confinement of those deemed 'insane', exploring patient records in an attempt to understand the rise of the asylum within the wider context of social and economic change of nations undergoing modernisation. Originally published in 2003, this edited volume brings together thirteen original research papers to answer key questions in the history of asylums. What forces led to the emergence of mental hospitals in different national contexts? To what extent did patient populations vary in terms of their psychiatric profile and socio-economic background? What was the role of families, communities and the medical profession in the confinement process? This volume therefore represents a landmark study in the history of psychiatry by examining asylum confinement in a global context.

Review of the hardback:‘Dealing with the institutions and policies of countries with differing populations, traditions and cultures, these scholars largely eschew the angry and polemical writings of the 1960s and 1970s. Basing their analyses on archival data, they present nuanced and subtle interpretations that offer fresh insight into the mental-health policies of different nations.’

Source: Nature

Review of the hardback:‘When put together these separate studies do give that new, comparative standpoint which is required to come to grips with vital but confusing aspect of medical history.’

Source: Church Times

Review of the hardback:‘When put together these separate studies do give that new, comparative standpoint which is required to come to grips with this vital but confusing aspect of medical history.’

Source: Contemporary Review

Review of the hardback:‘This is a micro-history of a high standard …a first-rate book.’

Source: Health & History

Review of the hardback:‘This volume … is indeed enlightening.’

Source: Medical Journal World

Review of the hardback:'This author never failed to provide a worthwhile read …'

Source: Journal of Psychological Medicine