Bedlam: London and Its Mad

Bedlam: London and Its Mad is a 2008 book by the British journalist Catharine Arnold.

Bedlam: London and Its Mad

Cover of the first edition
Author	Catharine Arnold
Language	English
Subjects	History of mental illness and treatment of mental illness, Bethlem Hospital
Set in	London
Published	London
Publisher	Pocket Books (Simon and Schuster)
Publication date	2008
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	306
ISBN	9781847390004
Dewey Decimal	362.210942109

Synopsis

The book follow developments in societal treatment of mental illness and the mentally ill, from the cruel days of Bethlem Hospital (often known as "Bedlam") to the campaigning psychiatrists who secured advances in treatment and changes in societal viewpoints.

Reception

In The Guardian, Patrick McGrath made some criticisms of the book, arguing "Arnold occasionally makes wild claims", but notes that the strength of the book is "the author indulges all that is quirky and macabre in the fascinating story of madness in England". The Psychiatric Times was rather more critical, with the reviewer writing "Is Bedlam accurate, historically reliable, and of academic and therapeutic value? I think not", and "In the final page of the book, we discover that 'over the years, [the author has] learned to embrace melancholy', and 'some of us prefer to endure melancholy in its various manifestations and accept that this variety of madness is part of our identity. A 'Government Health Warning' should accompany this frank, therapeutic nihilism and negativity toward psychiatric treatment".