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Details
Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781786499875
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Overview
Sedated: How Modern Capitalism Created Our Mental Health Crisis is a bold, research-driven book from psychotherapist and social anthropologist Dr James Davies. Rather than accepting that mental illness stems purely from chemical imbalances in the brain, Davies builds an evidenced case that our escalating mental health crisis is manufactured by economic insecurity, precarious work, inequality and the pressures of modern capitalist life. Combining academic rigour with accessible storytelling, this paperback is essential reading for anyone questioning why, despite record psychiatric medication, distress keeps rising.
About the Book
Drawing on years of research, clinical experience and interviews with psychiatrists, economists and people with lived experience, James Davies unpicks how modern societies have quietly medicalised suffering that is, in many cases, a rational response to social and economic conditions. He traces how pharmaceutical companies, successive governments and vested interests have promoted an individualistic model of illness that avoids scrutiny of structural forces: job insecurity, wage stagnation, social isolation and eroding community. The book charts the dramatic rise in psychiatric drug prescriptions across Britain, questioning why, despite this "prescription epidemic," rates of mental illness continue to climb rather than fall. Sedated is unflinching in its critique of psychiatry, big pharma and neoliberal economics, yet remains grounded, compassionate and highly readable. It offers not just a diagnosis of what has gone wrong, but a vision for a more humane, socially aware approach to mental health policy and clinical practice. For students of sociology, psychology and public health, as well as general readers wondering why modern life feels so relentlessly stressful, this is a timely, provocative book that reframes the conversation around mental health entirely.
- Provocative thesis: Challenges the dominant medical model of mental illness with rigorous, evidence-based argument.
- Expert-backed: Draws on original interviews with psychiatrists, economists and researchers.
- Highly readable: Complex ideas explained in clear, engaging prose suitable for general readers and students alike.
- Topical and timely: Speaks directly to post-pandemic anxieties around work, inequality and wellbeing.
- Award-recognised: Widely praised by critics and mental health commentators for its clarity and impact.
- Great for gifting: Ideal for students, healthcare professionals, activists and anyone interested in mental health policy.
About the Author
Dr James Davies is a Reader in Social Anthropology and Mental Health at the University of Roehampton, London, and a practising psychotherapist. He holds a DPhil in social and medical anthropology from the University of Oxford and has authored several acclaimed books exploring psychiatry, therapy culture and mental health policy. His work has been widely discussed in the media and academic circles, and he is a respected voice in debates around the medicalisation of everyday distress.
Why You'll Love This Book
Sharp, compassionate and meticulously researched, Sedated will change how you think about mental health, medication and modern life. A must-read for anyone who suspects the crisis runs deeper than individual brains alone.
Please Note: Cover may vary slightly from image shown; this listing is for the UK ISBN paperback edition as pictured.
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