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The Rise and Fall of the Asylum

Season 2021 Episode 3 | 54m 00s

Until a few decades ago, the United States relied on mass confinement in mental asylums, for the mentally ill, as well as extreme treatments, from lobotomy to coma therapy. Today, at Cook County Jail in Chicago, more than one-third of inmates have a mental health diagnosis. Meet the detainees whose lives hang in the balance and discover the harsh realities of care both in and out of jail.

Aired: 06/22/21 | Expires: 07/22/24
Funding for Mysteries of Mental Illness is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Johnson & Johnson, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, and Draper, and through the support of PBS viewers.
Extras
Dr. Igda Martinez is dedicated to empowering unhoused people and breaking stereotypes.
Dr. Keshavarzi is building psychological treatment processes around faith-based concepts.
A mother's struggle to find adequate mental healthcare for her son with a disability.
Adriana Alejandre decides to change the way the Latinx community views mental healthcare.
Struggle against a culture that robs Native people of their identity and sense of self.
Native psychologists push for a move away from self and into the circularity of nature.
Those leaving the reservation for higher education have tools to protect their community.
A good mental health treatment process must include families and friends.
Anthropologist Linh An calls for a just mental healthcare system that dismantles racism.
Kelvin Nguyen unlearns shame and embraces therapy to help himself and others.
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