During class discussions, we’ve talked about a lot of things that aren’t covered in the readings. On this page, you’ll find links to articles and videos related to those discussions. These are all optional, but you may find them interesting.
Diagnosing children:
- “Can You Call a 9 Year Old a Psychopath?”
- “When Your Child is a Psychopath”
- Jani Schofield: Jani had previously been trotted out on the talkshow circuit as the world’s youngest schizophrenic. Just months ago, she was removed from her mother’s care after a judge ruled that her mother was abusive. Currently, she is in foster care, and is showing no signs of schizophrenia after having been weaned off all psychiatric medications. I’m glad you guys brought this topic up, because I hadn’t kept up with this story recently.
- The Slenderman Stabbing: Two 12 year old girls attempted to kill a friend after becoming obsessed with an online horror story. Both girls were found not guilty by mental disease or defect (a type of insanity plea) and sentenced to time in psychiatric hospitals. This longform article discusses the question of childhood mental illness. There’s also an HBO documentary that contains interviews with the family discussing the girls’ symptoms (and why they weren’t taken seriously) as young children. The case has also prompted questions about the effect the internet has on children, which may be of interest given our discussions about cellphones and technology.
Solitary confinement:
- PhilosophyTube’s video does a good job summing up a lot of research and ideas in 20 minutes.
- “I Developed Agoraphobia in Prison”: a prisoner describes his time in solitary confinement and the effects it had on his mental health.
- A psychologist’s testimony on solitary confinement before the Senate
History of Psychology 