While general medicine has certainly advanced over the last few decades, clinical psychology has travelled a deeply distressing trajectory. As Marx thought of religion, the role of the mental health sector is now to sedate, to distract from distress and to prevent political action, all in the interests of our neo-liberal economy. Following the publication of his book, Sedated, How Modern Capitalism Created our Mental Health Crisis, James Davies explains. 

Since the 1980s, clinical outcomes in general medicine have been on a positive trajectory upward, due to impressive advancements in biomedical research, technology and treatment. While progress has been rapid throughout general medicine, one area of health care has nevertheless bucked the trend – the area of psychiatry and mental health.