A parent discovers that the program that she thought would reintegrate her daughter back into community living, and would heal her, was a poorly designed, undisclosed research program that illegally coerced consumers to take drugs that had nothing to do with rehabilitation, and was not conducted by scientists. In addition, it violated many rules of permissible research programs with Human subjects, the first and most essential one being INFORMED CONSENT. Dealing with subjects of diminished autonomy, assent can never be informed consent, and the regulations require that each patient have an outside advocate, or relative, helping him understand what the project is about and how it might benefit him or humanity. The author examines the program and determines that it is faulty, cannot possibly benefit the consumer or the public, and imposes much more than minimal risk, for the consumers lives are dramatically shortened.
It is a book for all who happen to know someone with mental illness.