Revisiting Notions of Madness: A Brief Review from Feminist Lens

The article is a review of the term ‘madness’ as defined by prominent scholars in psychology, philosophy and literature. Through differing versions and definitions of the concept, attempts are made to blur the superficial yet pragmatically essential distinction between ‘normal’ and ‘mad’ and ‘healthy’ and ‘ill’ which has laid the foundations of modern psychiatry and clinical psychology. Though the debate holds relevance across gender identities, for this paper this division and its implications are discussed in the context of women, their lived experiences and their categorization as ‘patients’. The paper raises critical arguments for practitioners and scholars in the field of mental health to question structural givens of their discipline, seeking a dialogue that provides a more wholesome view on women and madness.