Back Issues Archive

Asylum Magazine (Volume 20 No 1) Spring 2013

Dr Thomas Stephen Szasz 15 April 1920 (Budapest) – 8 September 2012 (Manlius, NY) with the death of Thomas Szasz, at the age of 92, psychiatry has lost its most vociferous critic. Asylum 19:4 began with an appreciation by Ron Roberts. Having called for contributions, we now mark the event with a collection of different perspectives on Szasz’s work and ideas. Read more


Asylum Magazine (Volume 19 No 4) Winter 2012

Thomas Szasz (1920 – 2012) Life, Liberty and Politics… Dr Thomas Szasz’s life-long defence of basic human freedoms came to an end on September 8th. Although sidelined for years by mainstream toxic psychiatry, Szasz’s work remains far from irrelevant. On both sides of the Atlantic, the government of the people by corporate and business representatives against the people appears committed to eroding or abolishing those liberties that have been won through determination and hard-fought struggle. Read more


Asylum Magazine (Volume 19 No 3) Autumn 2012

‘Such high levels of mental illness mean this issue can no longer be brushed under the carpet. Is there any issue which touches nearly everyone’s lives yet is so ignored or misunderstood by politics and media?’ This is the concluding statement of Michael Richmond’s article submitted for this special issue of Asylum, in which we explore Anti-capitalism and Mental Health. Read more


Asylum Magazine (Volume 19 No 2) Summer 2012

Welcome to this issue of Asylum magazine. There are lots of highlights but you may be particularly moved by our featured piece – Stephen R Killeen’s chilling call for ‘mad independence’. Responding to readers’ feedback, we are trying to keep articles shorter. We are also covering more ‘news’ stories. Please do give us any feedback on this. And send us other news items you think we should cover. Read more


Asylum Magazine (Volume 19 No 1) Spring 2012

Last September, along with our friends and supporters in the Critical Psychiatry and Hearing Voices Networks, the Asylum Collective held a conference at Manchester Metropolitan University to explore alternatives to the pathological labels of ‘mental illness’. This issue of the magazine includes some of the presentations from this event, as well as the usual sections of creative writing, poetry and reviews. Read more


Asylum Magazine (Volume 18 No 4) Winter 2011

After three editions devoted to one or another specific issue, this one covers a variety of topics. We are pleased to say that the bulk of it consists of the considered views of various service users or ex-users. (Or ‘survivors’ – there still doesn’t seem to be an agreed word to replace ‘patient’…) And you will see that we now introduce a regular section for Poetry and Creative Writing, co-edited by Clare Shaw and Phil Thomas. If you have any ideas for this, please contact either of them (see contact list on p.2). Read more