Free the Crazy Horse: Franco Basaglia’s Revolution in Mental Health and in Society Franco Basaglia and the Treatment of People With Mental Disorders

AI Summary

Radical critique of psychiatric institutions and biomedical psychiatry, promoting deinstitutionalisation and dismantling exclusionary practices
Reconceptualised patients as subjects with dignity, foregrounding phenomenology, ethics and psychiatry as a practice of freedom
Political legacy enacted in Law 180, linking mental health reform to democracy and human rights, yet vulnerable to institutional neutralisation

J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2026 May 20. doi: 10.1111/jpm.70141. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Franco Basaglia was a central figure in the Italian psychiatric reform of the 20th century, whose work radically challenged the institutional and biomedical foundations of psychiatry. His thought, rooted in phenomenology and existentialism, redefined the meaning of mental illness and the role of the psychiatrist within society.

AIM: This paper aims to explore the revolutionary contributions of Basaglia to psychiatry and mental health care, emphasizing the socio-political, ethical, and philosophical dimensions of his approach.

APPROACH: Through a historical and theoretical analysis, the article examines Basaglia’s critique of psychiatric institutions, his redefinition of the concept of the person in care, and the political implications of his reformist project leading to Law 180 (1978). The discussion integrates philosophical sources and socio-political contexts to elucidate his notion of psychiatry as a “practice of freedom.”

MAIN ARGUMENTS: Basaglia’s thought transcended the clinical field, presenting psychiatry as an instrument of social change. By challenging exclusion and advocating for patients’ rights and dignity, he aligned psychiatric reform with broader struggles for democracy and social justice. The paper highlights both the transformative potential and the later institutional neutralization of his legacy.

CONCLUSIONS: Basaglia’s vision remains profoundly relevant to contemporary debates on mental health, citizenship, and care ethics. Revisiting his work invites a rethinking of mental health care as a practice grounded in inclusion, human rights, and the recognition of subjectivity.

PMID:42159995 | DOI:10.1111/jpm.70141

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