When Healing Harms: The Doctor Who Put a Hospital on Trial—and the Case That Shook Psychiatry
Eric Caplan presents *When Healing Harms: The Doctor Who Put a Hospital on Trial—and the Case That Shook Psychiatry*, in conversation with Sally Satel. His book revisits the landmark malpractice case of Dr. Raphael Osheroff, whose treatment at the prestigious Chestnut Lodge psychiatric hospital in 1979 exposed deep divisions over how severe depression should be treated and prompted a reckoning within psychiatry.
Osheroff entered Chestnut Lodge expecting expert care but was placed in a locked ward, denied medication, and given seven months of talk therapy. His condition deteriorated, leaving him physically weakened and emotionally devastated; after his parents arranged a transfer to another hospital, antidepressant treatment helped, but his marriage, medical practice, and reputation had already suffered. His subsequent lawsuit against Chestnut Lodge was unprecedented. Drawing on court records, medical files, legal archives, correspondence, video testimony, and interviews, Caplan examines what happened to Osheroff, how the case was misunderstood and obscured, and how its legacy continues to shape psychiatric care for seriously ill patients.
When: October 18, 2026
Showtimes: 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, 5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Tickets: Free admission; seating is first come, first served.
Featured speaker: Eric Caplan, author of *Mind Games: American Culture and the Birth of Psychotherapy* and recipient of the University of Chicago’s Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Conversation partner: Sally Satel, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, practicing psychiatrist, and lecturer at Yale University School of Medicine. Her most recent book is *Mind the Children: How to Think About the Youth Mental Health Collapse*.
Subject: Nonfiction and the history of psychiatric care, medical malpractice, and professional change.
Book: *When Healing Harms* is available in hardcover for $28.95. It was published October 6, 2026, with ISBN 9780520409163.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. Requests made closer to the event will be accommodated when possible.