Alex Dorsch

Mrs. Burke
Honors English 11
22 May 2017

Annotated Bibliography

Marquardt, Tom. "Tragic Chapter of Crownsville State Hospital's Legacy." Capital Gazette.
Capital Gazette, 15 Apr. 2016. Web. 18 May 2017.

This website article written by Tom Marquardt takes an inside look at the inhumane

treatments and practices that took place within the walls of Crownsville State Hospital.

Marquardt even includes input from local historians Paul Lurz and Janice Hayes-

Williams. They get brutally honest and explain that people went to Crownsville because

they were black, not because they were sick or mentally ill. At one point in history,

Crownsville had a thirty percent death rate. Marquardt explains that the experimental

procedures performed on African Americans would repulse modern medical

professionals. He continues to explain that the surrounding African American community

knew of the injustices that took place within the hospital. Despite their knowledge, there

was nothing they could do to stop it. Marquardt adds a bit of humor by including that

parents would even sarcastically threaten to take their kids to the hospital if they did not

behave. While looking through medical records and death certificates, Hayes-Williams

mentions the recorded causes of death were often very vague. This discovery leads her to

believe that the real causes of death were covered up. Marquardt begins to conclude the
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article by stating Crownsville was finally closed in 2004. He even includes a description

of Henrietta Lacks. He gives a brief history about her connection to Johns

Hopkins

Hospital and the HeLa cells that were developed from her. Elsie, Henriettas daughter, is

also mentioned along with her time spent at Crownsville. Overall, Marquardts article

appropriately describes the horrific treatment given by the faculty while still being

respectful to the patients. Information about Crownsville is included from 1948 up until

2004. This timeline allows the reader to understand the developments and changes in the

environment as well as the treatments the patients received.

Mechanic, D. "Mental Health Services Then And Now." Health Affairs 26.6 (2007): 1548-550.
Web.

Mechanics article provides a well explained history of the development of mental health

institutions and the professionals in the mental health field. The period of time covered in

the article begins in the 1980s and includes medical advances as recent as 2007.

Mechanic covers everything from the first Presidents Commission on Mental Health

from Jimmy Carters presidency to the overwhelming involvement of pharmaceutical

companies in the treatment of mental health. The article introduces the topic by

discussing the daunting challenge of creating an effective care system. The first issue

covered regarding the lack of proper care in mental institutions is the massive

deinstitutionalization that took place in the 70s and 80s. During this time, mentally ill

were neglected and left on the streets where they resorted to substance abuse. Mechanic
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also leads in to the abuse of medication adherence to mental patients for drugs such as

antipsychotics and serotonin inhibitors for depression. The persistent involvement of

pharmaceuticals in health treatments threatened the credibility of medical practices.

Mechanic concludes his article by explaining the improvements made in the mental

health field. He includes the medical and rehabilitative advances that have been made so

that there is more focus on the needs of the patient. Despite the changes, Mechanic makes

sure to include that there are still many aspects of mental health and could be improved.

He emphasizes the need for evidence-based treatments rather than generic programs.

Overall, Mechanic provides a well-formed summary of the changes made in the mental

health system over the years. He includes specific examples for each of each of his claims

and supports them appropriately. In conclusion, he explains how his claims have been

improved with modern medical advancements.

Montross, Christine. "Opinion | The Modern Asylum." The New York Times. The New York
Times, 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 21 May 2017.

In Montross article, she takes a modern approach to the issues in mental health care

systems. She begins by introducing her argument as to whether deinstitutionalization is a

successful care method for the mentally ill. Montross describes this movement as a

failure and encourages the use of psychiatric asylums. She explains that patients with

severe mental illnesses who are deinstitutionalized often end up in facilities that are more
 expensive and less appropriate such as prisons or nursing homes. She also provides the

opposing sides position that people should receive treatment in the least restrictive

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setting possible. Despite this, she explains that the faculty members in nursing homes and

jails do not have the medical training to treat patients with severe mental diseases such as

schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Most nurses who work in nursing homes only know

how to generally treat patients. They do not know how to specifically treat those with

severe mental illnesses. Additionally, Montross includes that large facilities such as group

homes experience budget cuts and smaller staffs with lower wages. With less staff, there

are not enough people to care for the patients and keep them under control. She argues

that asylums for the mentally disabled would provide structure and stability. She

continues to explain that asylums would offer professionally trained staff to address the

needs of any patient. She concludes her article by stating that those who are mentally

disabled do not have the proper mental capacity to take care of themselves. She argues

that rather than placing them in a prison or nursing home just to get them off the streets,

there should be proper institutions built to house these patients and give them the proper

treatment they deserve. Her strong desire to give mental patients proper care shows she

has a true understanding for what patients go through. Montross distinctly argues that we

can no longer abandon those who are in the greatest need.

Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Broadway, 2017. Print.
In her New York Times Best Seller, Skloot narrates the Lacks familys struggle to learn

the truth behind what happened to Henriettas cells. Not only that, but she also includes

the obstacles she faced while trying to get in touch with the family and obtain the correct

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information about their history. One of the most emotion-evoking scenes in the book is

when Skloot travels to Crownsville to retrieve whatever records are left about Elsie

Lacks, Henriettas daughter. Skloot finds a heartbreaking picture of Elsie crying with

hands wrapped around her neck. Additionally, Skloot includes a brief history about the

methods that were used to treat the patients as well as the environment in which they

lived. She explains that since the hospital was filled past its maximum capacity, the

doctor to patient ratio was 1:225. and due to their high capacity, patients were kept in

poorly ventilated cell blocks with drains in the floor to substitute as toilets. The horrific

scene Skloot describes is enough to give you chills. She also includes information

regarding the corrupt medical practices performed by doctors at the time. She explains a

specific operation that involves drilling into the skull and filling it with helium. This

procedure was unethical and resulted in terrible pain for the patient. Lastly, she includes

that a sizable portion of the patients admitted into the mental institution had no medical

needs or disabilities. This chapter of Skloots book exposes the inhumane methods of

care and treatment that were given to patients who were placed in mental hospitals in the

1950s. Her information inspires all who read her book and educates them on the

injustices of our early medical system. Her dedication to finding and including this

knowledge in her book shows her concern for those who experienced such tragic

treatment.
Stiker, Henri-Jacques. "Deinstitutionalization." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia
Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.

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Stikers article covers the history of psychiatric deinstitutionalization. He begins by

defining deinstitutionalization so his readers have an understanding about what the author

will be discussing throughout his article. This introductory paragraph is very useful and a

great way to introduce the topic. Stiker then begins to explain how deinstitutionalization

became popular. He describes that the concern for patients in mental institutions arose in

the 19th century when there were signs of patient abuse and neglect. In the 20th century,

overcrowding and neglect became such an issue that people began looking for a more

community-based alternative. Not only that, but there was also an increase in

psychotropic medications that better allowed the mentally ill to regain their lives outside

of a hospital. Another factor that encouraged deinstitutionalization was psychoanalysis

because the treatment could be done outside of an institution. Stiker summarizes by

explaining that all these factors contributed to a sort of antipsychiatry movement. Despite

the urge for mental patients to leave hospitals, many people were against having the

mentally ill be released into public places and work settings. Stiker concludes that the

issue of deinstitutionalization is still prevalent today. He explains that

deinstitutionalization has taken many different forms all over the world in places such as

Europe and the United Kingdom. Overall, the author provides a useful and descriptive

history of deinstitutionalization. He also includes the sides of those who are in support of

it and those who are opposed. Including both sides of the argument helps the reader to get
a full understanding of the pros and cons of the situation and allows them to take a side

for what they believe.