Research

Scope and Content Note

This series contains audio recordings and paper and electronic transcripts of interviews documenting the life histories of approximately eighty people who had received mental health treatment in state psychiatric centers, the psychiatric wards of general hospitals, or private psychiatric facilities. In varying levels of detail, the interviewees discuss their formative years, relationships with family and friends, educational and employment history, psychiatric hospitalization, perceptions of the mental health care system, and future goals. Individual interviewees also talk about a wide array of other subjects, including: art, music, and writing; the criminal justice system; electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); physical health concerns; political beliefs; psychiatric drugs; recreational interests; religion and spirituality; social services organizations and agencies; self-help groups and techniques; substance abuse; and trauma (i.e., emotional, physical, or sexual abuse).