Author Description

Spanning the period between 1877 and 1983--a time that saw dramatic shifts in the nature of mental health legislation--this book considers the civil aspects of legislation for the mentally ill in Britain, particularly the historically changing form of civil commitment procedures. Unsworth's penetrating analysis reveals how the broad political trend toward social interventionism in the early and mid-20th century worked to undermine formal legal safeguards designed to protect patients' civil liberties. Steering clear of narrowly legal interpretations, Unsworth uses an enlightening sociological perspective to treat historical material on the emergence of legislation.