New Books in African American Studies Jonathan Metzl, “The Protest Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease” (Beacon Press, 2010)
12 snips
May 4, 2011 
Jonathan Metzl, a psychiatrist and cultural critic, discusses the troubling intersection of race and mental health in his work. He reveals how the diagnosis of schizophrenia became racially charged during the Civil Rights movement, linking the perception of the illness with African American men. Metzl explores cultural influences, racial biases in psychiatric diagnoses, and the criminal justice system's treatment of those labeled with schizophrenia. His insights urge a critical re-evaluation of mental health care and highlight the need for systemic change to combat these disparities.
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Schizophrenia and Race
- Jonathan Metzl's book, The Protest Psychosis, examines how schizophrenia became associated with Black men during the Civil Rights Movement.
- He argues that this shift reflects racial anxieties and how diagnoses can be influenced by social and cultural factors.
From Depression to Schizophrenia
- Metzl's work builds on his previous book, Prozac on the Couch, which examined how depression was coded as a white illness.
- He noticed a contrasting discourse around schizophrenia, which was increasingly linked to Black men.
Cultural Factors in Schizophrenia
- Metzl acknowledges the biological basis of schizophrenia but emphasizes the influence of cultural factors on diagnosis and experience.
- He notes the lack of a definitive biological test and the role of clinical observation, which is susceptible to cultural biases.
