ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book seeks to provide researchers and those interested in the history of madness with a snapshot of the discipline - an opportunity to see how leading scholars go about their work, the kind of evidence they use, the conclusions they are reaching, and their assessments of the historiography of madness today. Madness has always been entangled in the transformation and interactions of changing human aspirations and moralities. By the end of the century, the history of madness had evolved into a vibrant subfield of history, with contributions from scholars presenting an expanding range of interests. Psychopharmacology, families, nurses and mental health workers, outpatient treatment, and madness as a form of disability are just a few of the major topics that have begun moving to center stage.