Andrew T. Scull (born 1947) is a British-born sociologist who researches the social history of medicine and the history of psychiatry. He is a distinguished professor of sociology and science studies at the University of California, San Diego, and recipient of the Roy Porter Medal for lifetime contributions to the history of medicine. He received his B.A. from Oxford University and his Ph.D. from Princeton. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania and at Princeton before coming to UCSD. books include Madhouse: A Tragic Tale of Megalomania and Modern Medicine, Madness in Civilization: A Cultural History of Insanity, and Desperate Remedies: Psychiatry's Turbulent Quest to Cure Mental Illness.
The podcast explores a history of studying and treating mental illness in the United States, biological and sociological factors, failed treatments and psychopharmacological approaches, and whether the pandemic was a lost opportunity to re-think mental illness and treatment.
A Long History of Mental Illness