From Mad in Italy: Many critical aspects of the 1978 Psychiatric Reform were already present in the first reform experiences and have worsened over time. Among these, the separation between therapy and rehabilitation, patients’ rights, and the difficult relationship with civil and political society. A central, but often ignored, issue is that of psychotropic drugs, obscured by lies and mystifications. This misrepresentation has been supported by pharmaceutical companies, universities, and associations of psychiatrists and citizens.
Today, the differences compared to fifty years ago are substantial, but they do not concern extraordinary scientific innovations. Rather, we observe a collapse of awareness of the limits of the bio-pharmacological approach, which can become harmful if it is limited to seeking a degree of “functioning” of the person. Furthermore, the divisions between therapeutic schools, socio-economic distinctions and cultural difficulties fall, condensing the complexity of the situation in the “bio-psycho-social” paradigm.
Read the full Italian article here and the English translation here.
